


Nothing to Gain, Nothing to Lose

by crmsndragonwngs



Series: Nothing To Gain, Nothing To Lose [1]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Might be a bit ooc, poorly written smut anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:41:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 29,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25868347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crmsndragonwngs/pseuds/crmsndragonwngs
Summary: In which Raditz struggles with his sins, and a certain bandit ends up saving him.A/N: I took a whole bunch of liberties with this, so be prepared for a little bit of out of character-ness and canon divergence
Relationships: Raditz (Dragon Ball)/Original Female Character(s), Raditz/Yamcha (Dragon Ball), The focus is radcha though
Series: Nothing To Gain, Nothing To Lose [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1891060
Comments: 30
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> _“Heavy's the head of guilt  
>  Hollow's the heart of doubt”_   
> 

If someone had told him that Nappa was going to fall out of the clouds and land right at his feet, Raditz would have laughed in their face. 

That would be ridiculous. Totally impossible. 

And yet, that’s exactly what had happened. 

Raditz had been sitting off on his own, away from the other Saiyans that had been sent to Hell, brooding over his failure. The prince had been counting on him to retrieve his idiot brother. Kakarot had been their only hope to take down Freiza, and Prince Vegeta had been so enthused at the prospect of another Saiyan out there somewhere. Maybe three Saiyans weren’t enough to take down the tyrant, but surely four could manage it. 

But now he and Kakarot were both dead, and only two Saiyans remained in existence. At least those dragon ball things could bring Raditz back to life. 

Well, at least that’s what he’d thought. 

But then Nappa’s massive body had crashed through the clouds that separate Hell and whatever lies beyond them, falling with a full-throated scream to land nearly on top of Raditz, and Raditz’s hope of being revived with those dragon ball things had crumbled like the rock beneath Nappa’s hulking form. 

“That back-stabbin’ motherfucker, who the fuck does he think he is?” Nappa snarls, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees. “Spent half my fuckin’ life protectin’ his scrawny ass and this is the thanks I get.”

“Hey Nappa. Welcome to Hell.” Raditz says with a sardonic snort. “Guessin’ the whole dragon ball thing went sideways, huh?” Nappa freezes, lifting his head slowly to look at Raditz, a look of guilt flashing across his brutish features before he can compose himself.

“Yeah, guess you could say that.” He replies, sitting up on his knees. 

“Don’t tell me that fucking Namekian killed you too.”

“Nah, I took that bastard out for ya.” Nappa says, frowning. 

“So who was it?” He asks, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Fuckin’ Vegeta.” Nappa snarls, his lip curling, baring his canines. 

“What?” Raditz blurts, blinking. “What do you mean fuckin’ Vegeta?”

“Vegeta fuckin’ killed me, you stupid asshole.” Nappa roars. Raditz flinches, staring wide-eyed at him. 

“No way, he wouldn’t do that.” He says. 

“Like hell he wouldn’t! Your thick-headed brother broke my goddamn back, and Vegeta told me he had no use for a Saiyan who couldn’t move, and he fuckin’ killed me.” Nappa snaps, shaking his head. 

“My brother? But he’s dead. The Namekian—“

“No shit, you fuckin’ dumbass. His stupid friends brought him back with those dragon balls.” Nappa huffs. “Startin’ to see the resemblance between you two morons.”

“You know what? Fuck you, Nappa.” Raditz growls. “Far as I’m concerned, you’re no better than I am. At least I died fighting. You were dispatched by your prince because you were too fuckin’ weak.” He leaves out the part where a child stunned him long enough for his weakling brother to grab him. 

“Not the point, you dense son of a bitch.” Nappa says. “The point is Vegeta’s a back-stabbing asshole and I’m gonna find a way outta here so I can kill ‘im myself.”

“Yeah, good luck with that.” Raditz snorts. “And anyway, you know how he is. I doubt very much he was thinkin’ straight. Loses his mind when shit hits the fan.”

“Who the fuck panicks and kills their fuckin’ guardian? I practically raised that little shit.”

“Fine job you did of it, too. Obviously.” Raditz says with a huff, shaking his head. “And you ain’t been his guardian in a long-ass time. He’s been carrying us since he was forced to join our squad. Doesn’t matter what any of us _thought_ our duties were, we’d a’ been killed a lot sooner if it weren’t for Vegeta.”

“Funny that we ended up getting killed _by_ him instead.” Nappa grumbles. “Fuckin’ bastard.”

“Like I said, Nappa. You know how he is. He loses his mind when he’s angry or scared. And the rage rarely comes without the fear anyhow.” Raditz says. Nappa shoots him a dirty look. 

“That ain’t an excuse.” He snarls. Raditz shrugs. 

“Maybe not. Doesn’t change anything, though.” He sighs. 

“You know, he didn’t want to bring you back with the dragon balls. He was gonna wish for immortality.” Nappa says, a cruel twist to his mouth, and Raditz smothers the hurt before it reaches his eyes. He shrugs again instead, looking away. “I was the one who suggested bringin’ you back, and he shot it down.”

“I’m sure you put up such a good fight on my behalf, too.” Raditz snorts. 

“Hey, I avenged you, didn’t I?” Nappa snaps. 

“How noble.” Raditz says, rolling his eyes. 

“And anyway, I killed more a’ those fuckers than you.”

“Like that’s some big accomplishment.” Raditz snaps, finally getting angry. “I wasn’t supposed to kill anybody, genius. Vegeta said to go and get my stupid brother. If I’d been ordered to kill him, I would have!”

“Yeah, right. No way you coulda killed any of ‘em.” Nappa snorts. Raditz stands, clenching his hands into fists at his sides. 

“That wasn’t my mission!” He snarls. 

“You threatened to kill the brat.” Nappa points out smuggly. 

“I wasn’t gonna kill my own nephew! I wasn’t gonna kill anybody! It all got outta control so fast, Nappa.” And he hates that his voice shakes. Hates the flash of guilt and pity that crosses Nappa’s ugly mug, there and gone like a bolt of lightning. 

“We shouldn’t’a let you go alone. Knew you’d fuck it up.” Nappa huffs, looking away. 

“Fuck you.” Raditz growls, his voice low and dark. 

“Aw, what’s’a matter, runt? I didn’t hurt your feelings, did I?” Nappa teases, but Raditz is done. He turns on his heel and strides away, leaving the big man to sit in his stupid crater. 

—

Vegeta has always been a little mean, and he’d never been anything close to affectionate when anyone else was around, but Raditz had always felt a kind of fondness for the little prince. And when they had been alone together in their squad’s barracks, Vegeta had always seemed fond of Raditz too. 

Raditz was only five years older than the prince, but he’d felt a sort of responsibility for Vegeta. It was the same sort of feeling he’d felt toward his baby brother before Raditz had been drafted into Frieza’s army. 

They used to talk all the time. He remembers Vegeta climbing into his cot with him after a nightmare had awoken the young prince, clinging to Raditz’s back and shaking until sleep finally took him again. Vegeta used to ask Raditz to sing to him and tell him stories. They’d shared their food, sitting side by side with their tails hooked together. They had been so close. 

But then the prince had gotten so distant, the aftershocks of a lifetime of trauma shaking him deeper than Raditz could fathom, and even sitting beside one another there had been so many miles between them. 

Sometimes, even when he was still alive and in the company of the prince, Raditz missed Vegeta very much indeed. 

Raditz frowns deeply and crosses his arms tightly over his chest. Even with Vegeta’s mean streak, even with his impulsivity, Raditz still couldn’t imagine him killing Nappa. He didn’t blame Vegeta for his own death. He knew it had been his own fault for underestimating his brother and nephew, and none of them could have accounted for the Namekian and his raw power. But to kill Nappa in cold blood, after all they’d been through together? There had to have been something else happening in the prince’s head for him to have done something so evil. 

“Do not blame my son for your own failure, Nappa.” A loud voice booms, jolting Raditz out of his thoughts. He looks down from his vantage in the dead tree outside of the Saiyan camp, watching as Nappa flies across the chasm all the Hell-banished Saiyans inhabit and slamming into the cliff face under Raditz’s tree. The tree shakes violently, and Raditz’s tail wraps around the branch he’s perched in reflexively. 

The king appears in front of Nappa then, angrier than Raditz has ever seen him, and grabs Nappa’s collar, tossing him again. 

“Your weakness has endangered the prince one too many times, Nappa. And to place the blame for your mistakes on his shoulders? I should kill you for that alone.” 

“I’m sorry, my king! It wasn’t my intention to blame Prince Vegeta. I was only—“ Nappa stammers, struggling to his feet, but the king appears in front of him in an instant, punching him in the gut so hard that the chest plate of his armor shatters. 

“My gods, this must be Hell indeed. An eternity spent here listening to your excuses is enough to drive any man insane.” King Vegeta snarls. “Did it never occur to you that my son might not have been put in such a situation if you had served him as you were meant to? The torture he must have suffered at that lizard’s hands. I should strike you from existence here and now.”

Raditz drops down from his tree before he can talk himself out of it, taking a deep breath and swallowing the stab of fear in his guts. 

“My king!” He says, not having to fake the alarmed tone in his voice. “There’s an attack party just beyond the canyon headed straight for us!”

“How many combatants?” The king snaps, throwing Raditz a withering look over his shoulder. 

“At least 100, my king.” Raditz replies. 

“Ah, it has been quite some time since we’ve had a good battle.” The king booms, puffing up and laughing. “Scrape your companion off the ground and stay away from the fight. Your failures threaten to ruin us all.”

“Yes, sire.” Raditz murmurs, placing his hand over his heart and turning his face to the ground. 

“Thank you, Raditz.” Nappa says quietly when the king is out of earshot. Raditz doesn’t look at him. 

“Don’t mention it.” He huffs. “You’d better get out of here before the king realizes I lied and comes back to kill us both.” He takes to the air then, intending to leave Nappa where he lies and fly until he can’t anymore. He thinks he should be upset that he’s ostracized himself from his people, but somehow he just can’t find it within him to really care. He supposes he’d spent too much time separated from his people, too much time in the company of aliens to feel anything but disappointment. 

“Look, Raditz. I’m sorry about what I said before. I was out of line.” Nappa tries, flying at his side. “You’ve been nothin’ but loyal, and I've only ever treated you like shit.” Raditz stops then, anger rising from somewhere deep inside him, and rounds on the big man. 

“Shove it, Nappa.” He snarls, baring his canines. “You’re only kissing my ass because I saved yours. Well, no one’s watching now. Get lost.”

“Okay, maybe I feel like I owe ya. And maybe that’s because you just saved my ass.” Nappa says, raising his hands as though in surrender. “But I’m bein’ genuine, Raditz. I’m sorry. You’ve always had my back, and I ain’t been so good at returnin’ the favor, have I?”

“Fuck off.” Raditz snaps, turning to fly away, but Nappa appears in front of him in an instant, a strange look on his face. “If I don’t get outta here, the king’s gonna come back and wipe me from existence. You too, if you don’t do the same.” And when Raditz brushes past him, Nappa only follows quietly, subdued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, hi, this happened by accident. It started as a Raditz character study, and then it took a turn, and bing bang boom here we are. Enjoy?
> 
> Title and quote are from Insomnia by 10 Years


	2. Chapter 2

Raditz has been flying for days, or at least what feels like days, when his ki is finally depleted enough that he begins to drop out of the sky. He lands hard, his knees buckling beneath him, and falls forward on his hands. 

“Done already?” His unwanted companion scoffs, landing softly beside him and crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Shut the fuck up, Nappa.” Raditz snarls, wishing the fucking oaf would have just left him the hell alone. 

“Oh well. My guess is that if the king had wanted to find us, he would have by now.” Nappa continues, offering a hand. Raditz ignores it and stands on his own, dusting his palms. “I said I was sorry, Raditz.” Nappa sighs, crossing his arms again. 

Raditz ignores this too and starts walking, directionless and exhausted. His tail hangs, dragging the ground, and he wants nothing more than to curl up and sleep for the rest of his miserable existence. 

“Sure could go for some food.” Nappa comments quietly after a long time, and Raditz starts. He’d forgotten the big man was still following him. 

“Yeah, good luck with that.” Raditz snorts, glancing at him over his shoulder. “This is Hell. Misery is sorta the point.”

“You can’t be serious. There’s no food?” Nappa asks incredulously, speeding up to walk at Raditz’s side. “None at all?”

“There’s plenty of food. But we don’t have bodies. We can’t eat any of it.” Raditz sighs, his own stomach growling. “Or at least we can’t get anything from it.”

“Shit.” Nappa hisses, kicking a rock. “I fuckin’ hate this place.”

“Join the club.” Raditz huffs. 

They walk in silence for a long time, long enough for Raditz to forget that Nappa is following him again, and he nearly jumps out of his skin when a giant hand lands suddenly on his shoulder. 

“You’re dead on your feet, kid. Let’s find somewhere to rest.” He says gently, and Raditz is too tired to protest. They find a little alcove in the cliff side, and Nappa sets to work finding firewood and building a fire. Raditz sits against the rocky wall at the deepest point of the alcove, making himself as small as possible and wrapping his tail tightly around his waist. He’s just starting to doze off when Nappa sits heavily beside him. The big man is staring at him when he opens his eyes. “I don’t remember you being quite so weak, Raditz. Thought you had more stamina than this.” He comments, a look on his face that almost resembles concern. 

“I’ve been here for a year.” Raditz says, closing his eyes again, too tired to be offended by Nappa’s tactless words. “That’s a year of being hungry, tired, cold, uncomfortable, and alone.”

“What do you mean alone? Half of our people are here.” Nappa asks, sounding genuinely perplexed. 

“My parents aren’t here.” Raditz says quietly. “I don’t know half of those people. And the half I do know think I’m weak and useless. I don’t belong with them.” His throat closes then and he takes a deep breath. “I don’t belong anywhere.”

“You know you’re not that weak, right?” Nappa says, and Raditz opens his eyes and stares. “Sure, you’re not as strong as me an’ Vegeta, but you’re a hell of a lot stronger than most of the sorry excuses for Saiyans that are all still groveling at the king’s feet. Hell, probably stronger than all of ‘em.”

“Shut the fuck up, Nappa.” Raditz growls, not in the mood for games. 

“When have I ever stroked your ego just for the hell of it, runt?” Nappa says with a chuckle. “There’s a reason you were in my squad, Raditz.” 

They’re quiet for a long time after that, and Raditz is dozing off again when Nappa sighs. 

“What?” Raditz growls, wishing the big man would take a hint. 

“I don’t remember you being so quiet either. You used to not know how to shut up.” Nappa says. Raditz snorts. 

“Things change.”

“You almost sound like you’ve given up.” 

And a flash of anger rises in Raditz then, foreign and overwhelming in its intensity, and he stays quiet for a long time as he tries to stamp it down. 

“Maybe I have.” He murmurs once his temper is back under control. 

“That’s bullshit.” Nappa snaps. “Where’s your Saiyan pride?”

“I dunno, maybe it fucking died when I realized the two people I had thought of as my family didn’t give a shit about me.” Raditz snarls, all the control he’d mustered gone in an instant. “I’ve been here for a year, Nappa. A year of torture and misery, and the only thing that kept me fighting was the insane idea that you and Vegeta would bring me back to life when you landed on that fucking rock. I put everything into training. I exhausted myself everyday for a year without being able to eat or sleep. And then you come here and tell me that you had no intention of bringing me back.”

“Hey, wait—“ Nappa tries, but Raditz is truly angry now. 

“Shut. UP.” He screams, on his feet before his brain can catch up with his body. “I was so loyal to you and Vegeta. I was so devoted. All I ever wanted was to not be a disappointment to my people, to my prince, and for what?”

“Raditz—“

“It’s over, Nappa. I’m dead. I’m not getting another chance. So what’s the fucking point?” His knees give out again at that, the anger draining out of him as he slumps to the ground. There’s simply nothing left to sustain it. “I’m so fucking tired.” He sobs, scrubbing at his face with both hands. 

“I know.” Nappa says quietly, and somehow he sounds like he does. “I’m sorry, kid. Really.”

“Whatever.” Raditz huffs, feeling defeated. “I’m going to sleep now. Don’t wake me for anything, or I’ll kill you. You understand?”

“Sure, kid.”

—

When Raditz wakes, Nappa is gone, and all Raditz feels is relief. He stands and stretches, tail curling up as he arches his back and cracks his spine. He rakes a hand through his hair and wishes, not for the first time, that he had a hair brush. Wishes he had someone to brush his hair for him, too. It’s so long and thick, he can never get all of it on his own. A long, long time ago, Vegeta used to brush it when they were alone in the Saiyan barracks, tails twisted together, laughing softly as they cracked jokes and teased one another. He remembers his mother brushing it when he was very young, smiling at him, cooing gently when she’d accidentally pull too hard on a knot. 

A stab of loneliness pierces his gut then, a feeling he has long since grown accustomed to, and he sighs. He thought he had at least belonged with Vegeta and Nappa. How foolish. 

He stretches again and wonders if he should hunt. Eating doesn’t do anything for his hunger, but the action itself is comforting, just as the act of sleeping is. He never wakes up rested, but it feels good to sleep, even if just for a little while. 

“Mornin, Raditz.” Nappa says when he steps out of the alcove, startling him. “Least, I think it’s mornin. Hard to tell.”

“Thought you took the hint and left.” Raditz growls, crossing his arms over his chest. Nappa flinches, frowning deeply. 

“How many times I gotta apologize?” He huffs, shaking his head. “Well, anyway, I got breakfast. I know you said we can’t actually eat any of it, but it’s kinda nice anyway.”

“Makes it almost seem normal.” Raditz mumbles, shaking his head and snorting. 

“Yeah, somethin’ like that.” Nappa replies, looking at him strangely. “Look, I get that you’re mad. I’m a dick, but you knew that already. And you said it yourself, you know how Vegeta is. It ain’t an excuse, but that’s how it is.”

Raditz doesn’t say anything. He just sits down by the fire and tucks into the fish Nappa had been cooking. 

“I meant what I said, you know.” Nappa continues, tail twitching. “You’re not weak. An’ I know you been trainin’ hard cuz I know how you are. I remember you killin’ all them saibamen just to prove to me an’ Vegeta that you were strong. An’ hell, Raditz, we already knew you were strong. You’ve always had it in ya to be strong.”

“I don’t need your platitudes, Nappa.” Raditz says flatly, crunching through a blackened fish tail. “I don’t care. We’re dead. Doesn’t matter how strong we were.”

“I don’t believe that.” Nappa growls. “And I don’t think you do either.”

“You wanna know what I believe?” Raditz says, looking at the big man for the first time since he’d sat down. “I believe that I’m here because I did horrible things to people who didn’t deserve it. I believe I’m paying for it now. Everything I was, everything I did, the only thing it was worth was a one way trip to this miserable place.” He pulls the skin off the fish and looks up at Nappa again. “You’ll see. One day, you’ll be so tired and so hungry, and you’ll fight it because that’s what we Saiyans do, but deep down you’ll know that’s it. You’ll give up, but you’ll pretend you haven’t. You’ll tell yourself that Vegeta will wish you back to life, but he won’t, and you’ll realize that you knew that all along. Your pride will finally break, and you’ll realize that all of it was fucking pointless. All the shit we did for that fucking lizard, in the name of our Saiyan pride, to prove to no one that we were the strongest warriors in the universe, it was for _nothing_.”

“We are the strongest warriors in the universe.” Nappa snaps, his face angry and fearful at once. Raditz looks back at him, placid and emotionless, and sighs. 

“Maybe we were. Maybe. But for fuck’s sake, we’re _dead_ , Nappa. It doesn’t matter anymore.” He takes a big bite out of the fish and chews it slowly, wishing he could taste it. “Maybe it never did.”

“I can’t believe what I’m hearin.” Nappa growls, his voice shaking. His hands fist at his sides and his tail thrashes, all the hair along its length standing on end. “You’re no Saiyan. You’re _pathetic_.”

“Maybe I am.” Raditz mumbles around another mouthful of fish. “You’re free to leave. I’m certainly not going to stop you.” Nappa snorts, and Raditz can tell the big man really wants to hit him. 

Instead, he just turns on his heel and shoots into the air, disappearing over the cliff in an instant. Raditz sighs and tears another chunk off his fish. 

—

_“You should be proud, baby!” His mother crows, picking carefully at a snarl in his hair. Raditz sighs and rolls his eyes, glad she can’t see his face. “You’re going on a mission with the prince! You’ll be fighting alongside him like the proud Saiyan warrior you are!” Gine continues, her tail tightening gently around his. “My strong boy!” She grabs him then, her arms wrapping around his shoulders and her face pressing into his hair, squeezing him so tight it starts to hurt._

_“Mama.” He whines, wriggling in her arms and flushing at her fond chuckle. “You’re embarrassing me.” He looks up bashfully at his father sitting across the room with his arms crossed over his chest, expecting the thunderous scowl across his scarred face that he is so known and feared for. But there is only placid amusement in Bardock’s eyes, the corner of his mouth turned up so slightly, and Raditz feels himself flush an even deeper shade of red._

_“Oh poo, baby.” Gine teases, beginning to brush his hair again. “Embarrassing you before whom? Your father?” Raditz scowls, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. “Are you ashamed of your son, Bardock?”_

_“Of course not.” Bardock answers immediately. “I am a bit disappointed in my mate, however. Fawning over such a fine young warrior as though he were a child.” Raditz stares, astonished by the unabashed fondness on his father’s stern face._

_“Nonsense.” Gine replies warmly. “A fine young warrior though he may be, he is still my baby, and I will fawn over him as much as I see fit. Even when he is grown and taller than you, he will still be my precious child.”_

_“Of course, my dear.” Bardock concedes, a small smile creasing his features. “Mind your mother, my son. And let her fuss while she can.”_

_“Yes, father.” Raditz says, shyly returning Bardock’s gentle smile._

...

Raditz wakes in a cold sweat, breathing so hard his lungs burn, his heart pounding in his chest like it wants out. He often dreams of war, of the lives he’s taken, of the horrors he’s seen. He often dreams of Vegeta and the torture he’d witnessed at the lizard’s hands, helpless to do anything but watch. But somehow, inexplicably, these do not bother him nearly as much as his dreams of his parents. 

He presses the heels of his hands into his eyes, trying to physically push the image of his father out of his mind. He wishes, not for the first time, that Bardock and Gine were here. Equally so, he wishes he could just forget them entirely. 

He stands up and stretches, wishing he could chase the cold from his bones, and steps out of the alcove. It’s been days since Nappa left, and Raditz is strangely saddened by that. He has no reason to be upset that Nappa finally got the hint and left, no reason to feel anything for the son of a bitch at all, but some part of him wishes Nappa had stayed, if for no other reason than to keep him company. Raditz sighs as he scans the sky, not quite willing to admit to himself that he’s searching for Nappa’s massive form, then drops his eyes to the ground, searching for something he can kill and eat. 

But aside from the normal craggy mountains and cliff faces, there’s something new on the horizon today. Raditz spots it immediately, his tail bristling and teeth setting on edge, and he starts to walk toward it stiff-leggedly. 

It looks like a body. 

He’s maybe 100 yards from it when he realizes it’s Nappa, and he hates himself for leaping into a sprint, his heart in his throat. This man doesn’t deserve his concern, and Raditz shouldn’t be running to his rescue, but he can’t stop himself. He skids to a halt at the big man’s side, tail pinwheeling as he nearly loses his balance, ignoring the pain in his knees as they hit the rock below him. 

“Nappa!” He yells, rolling him over and slapping his face. His armor, or what was left of it after King Vegeta had smashed the front of it, is completely gone, leaving Nappa in just his shorts. His body is covered in scrapes and deep bruises, like he’d been slapped around by something much, much bigger than him, and his head and shoulders are red and blistered, like he’d been burned. “Nappa, what the fuck?” Raditz hisses, looking around fearfully before putting his arms under Nappa’s armpits and dragging him back toward the alcove. 

Raditz gets him inside, then goes back out to kick dirt over the fire. If whatever did this is still in the area, he does not want it to find them. 

It’s several hours before Nappa finally stirs. Raditz watches him, eyes sharp despite the darkness, and Nappa starts when he finally sees him. 

“Damn.” Nappa hisses, gingerly touching his head. “What happened?”

“That’s my line.” Raditz growls. “What did you do?”

“Fuck if I know.” Nappa snorts. Raditz bares his teeth at him. 

“Figures.” He huffs. “Found you out there beat to hell, so I dragged you back here.”

“Why?” Nappa asks, eyes wide. Raditz just shrugs. 

They’re quiet for a long time, listening to the howling and screaming outside. Raditz curls in on himself, hating himself for being scared, wishing he could get used to this place after all this time. 

“Oh shit.” Nappa says suddenly, startling Raditz. 

“What?” Raditz hisses. 

“I just remembered what happened.” Nappa replies, looking at him with big, scared eyes. “We gotta leave, kid.”

“What, why?” Raditz demands, hating how his voice climbs. 

_“Shit.”_ Nappa hisses, struggling to his feet and grabbing Raditz by the front of his armor, hauling him upright as though he were a child instead of a 6’5” and 220 pound grown-ass man. “I’ll explain later, but we gotta _go_.” 

Raditz watches him launch into the air, off kilter and unsteady. He briefly considers going a different direction, but Nappa is moving far too slowly to get away from whatever he’s running from. He growls, frustrated, and shoots into the air, grabbing the big man by one arm and boosting the hell out of the area. 

He flies hard, dragging Nappa with him, feeling stronger than he has in a long time. He guesses it’s because he’s actually allowed himself to rest for the first time since he’d gotten here. And while physically he still feels exhausted, his ki is a massive well of power inside him, seemingly limitless. 

“I gotta stop, kid.” Nappa says after a while, and when Raditz looks at him, he’s surprised at how pale the big man is. 

“Okay.” He says, slowing and looking for somewhere to land. 

“I might pass out.” Nappa mumbles, sounding far away. 

“That’s fine. I’ve got you.” Raditz replies softly, maneuvering him so that he’s supporting Nappa’s full weight. He finds a cave about halfway up the cliff face and heads for it, hoping it’s empty. 

They land heavily in the mouth of the cave, and Raditz pauses while his eyes adjust, charging his ki just in case. 

“Nobody in there, kid.” Nappa slurs, sagging against Raditz’s shoulder. “Can’t sense anybody anyway.”

“Sense?” Raditz questions. 

“Earth trick. They can sense ki. Picked it up while I was there.” Nappa replies. 

Raditz walks deeper into the cave, supporting all of Nappa’s bulk on his shoulder, and eases the big man down to the floor against the far wall. 

“You seem better.” Nappa comments, watching Raditz pace at the entrance. 

“What did you do, Nappa?” Raditz demands, rounding on him, his tail bristled and lashing behind him. 

“Calm down. We should be safe for now.” The big man mumbles. Raditz bares his teeth. 

“That’s bullshit.” He snarls, getting angry. “You said you would explain. So start explaining.”

“Okay, okay.” Nappa huffs, irritated. “I tried to escape.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Like, Hell. I tried to escape Hell. Turns out you get zapped by fuckin’ lightin’ when you get to the clouds.” Nappa points to the blistered skin on his head and sighs. “So I fell outta the sky an’ was out for a while. When I got up, I didn’t wanna go back to you, so I went back to the king. Well, turns out that was a huge fuckin’ mistake. He beat the shit outta me. Told me to get the hell out an’ never come back, then sent some soldiers to chase me an’ make sure I stayed gone.”

“You really are stupid, aren’t you?” Raditz snaps, crossing his arms over his chest, his tail lashing again. 

“I know! Damn.” Nappa snaps. “Anyway, I came back cuz...well, shit, because you’re my only friend.” He looks up at Raditz sheepishly, flushing red. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Of all the things I expected to come out of your mouth, that was not one of them.” Raditz says, godsmacked, staring at the big man like he’d grown another head. 

“Yeah, yeah.” Nappa huffs, embarrassed. “Anyway, what about you? Looks like you bounced back.” Raditz snorts. 

“Just got a chance to rest.” He says, turning to stare out into the chasm. 

“You’re stronger than before.” Nappa continues. Raditz’s tail whips the air. “I mean it. I can feel it.”

“Just shut up, Nappa.” Raditz snaps. 

—

It’s instinct for a Saiyan to hide his emotions. It’s ingrained from birth. 

“Stand up, Raditz. You are a proud Saiyan warrior, destined to live and die in battle. Warriors fear nothing, and they do not cry.”

He’d heard it from almost everyone in his life. His father. His teachers. His king. His prince. Nappa. The only person who hadn’t said it was his mother. 

His sweet, gentle mother. She’d been the only person to hold him and pet his hair and tell him to cry as long as he needed. She would brush his hair, and kiss his forehead, and tell him stories, and sing him songs, her tail twined carefully with his. She had been such a kind and beautiful soul. 

Raditz doesn’t think of Gine much anymore. At first, it hurt too much to think about her and what happened to her. It would bring him to tears every time, and then Vegeta or Nappa would slap him and sneer. 

“What, you miss your mommy, you fucking pussy?” They’d snarl, laughing at the shame burning in Raditz’s cheeks. “You’re a Saiyan warrior. Fucking act like it.”

At first he had to chase thoughts of her out of his head, but it wasn’t long before conscious effort gave way to habit. On the very rare occasion something would remind him of her — a pretty flower, a sweet fruit, the reflection of stars in still water — he would ask her forgiveness before shoving her away. _You’re a Saiyan warrior_ , he reminded himself, gritting his teeth and snarling at whatever the trigger had been. 

But when he’s alone, like right now, staring out into the darkness while Nappa snores loudly at the back of the cave, he thinks of his mother and lets his tears slip down his cheeks unfettered. He doesn’t sob brokenly like he might have when he was a child. He doesn’t curl up and bawl like an infant. He just sits on the ledge, his legs and tail hanging, hands clasped in his lap and shoulders hunched, and lets his emotions drain out of him as he looks out over the chasm below. 

He’s not ashamed of it now. He’s not ashamed to admit that he misses his mother. Hell, he even misses his father and his stupid little brother. He misses Vegeta and Nappa how they used to be, before they’d started treating Raditz like shit. 

He’s dead. It doesn’t matter if they think he’s weak. They can if they wish. It doesn’t change the fact that he misses his family, that he has so many regrets, that he wishes things had been different. And he does. He wishes things had been so different. 

He revels in his pain for a moment, in his regret and anguish and fear, then sniffs and scrubs his face with his hands, pushing it all out of his mind once more. 

—

When Nappa is rested and mostly healed, they begin traveling again. It’s Nappa’s idea, and Raditz doesn’t like it, but he also doesn’t like the way the big man looks at him when he tells him no, like he’s a coward. So Raditz suggests walking, but Nappa just growls at him and launches into the air. They travel for days, seemingly aimless and slow, and Raditz is wondering what exactly Nappa’s reasoning for all this actually is. 

Then, when Raditz is about ready to stop and demand answers, Nappa stops and points at the sky. 

“There’s a thin spot there, in the clouds.” He says quietly, eyes shifting as though he is afraid of being overheard. 

“So?” Raditz huffs, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“So, we might be able to get out there.” Nappa replies, visibly irritated. “Don’t you want to get the hell out of here?”

“Well yeah, but that’s impossible.” Raditz snorts. “I mean, look at what happened to you. You wanna get struck by lightning again?”

“No, look!” Nappa snarls, jabbing his finger at the clouds again. “I think it’s thin because I tried to go through it. I noticed it after I got zapped and woke up again. So I bet if we throw a bunch a shit at it, eventually we’ll punch through.” Raditz stares at the thin spot, frowning deeply. 

“I dunno, Nappa.” He says softly. “We don’t know what’s on the other side. We could get blasted out of existence the second we poke our heads out of the clouds.”

“So? Which is better, Raditz? Languishin’ down here in this fuckin’ place? Or gettin’ blasted out of existence?” Nappa says, staring at him. Raditz sighs and closes his eyes. 

“Fine.” He says after a moment. “Ki blasts might do it. If not, then we can collect fallen trees and souls and shit.”

“I like the way you think, kid.” Nappa grins, then turns and looses a barrage of ki blasts directly at the thin spot. Raditz watches for a moment, narrowing his eyes at the clouds. When it’s clear that Nappa’s attacks are working, Raditz raises his arm over his head and charges his ki, focusing all the energy into a sphere in the palm of his hand. He releases it and it flies fast into the clouds, sinking into them before exploding and blowing a hole in the sky. “Damn. Nice work.”

“Let’s just get the fuck outta here before someone sees us.” Raditz growls. 

They take off for the hole and are through it before Raditz has time to think better of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, and fair warning, all the characters are dramatic as fuck in this. But I feel like that's pretty much a dragon ball thing in general lol


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, I forgot to mention in the last chapter, but you might have noticed that I am totally not using the idea of hell that is used in the series. It didn’t fit with the story I wanted to tell, and it really wasn’t miserable enough lol.
> 
> So anyway, there’s a little (poorly written) m/f smut in this chapter. Enjoy? 😅

There is a long stone road stretching out into infinity on both sides of Raditz and Nappa when they break through the clouds and out of Hell. They hover there for a moment, taking in their surroundings, and Raditz feels his skin finally begin to warm as sunlight washes over him. It’s the warmest he’s been since he’d landed in Hell, and for a moment he just basks in it, eyes closed and tail curling. 

“Which way should we go?” He asks after a while, and when he finally looks over at Nappa, he sees that the big man is just as enraptured by the light and warmth as he is. 

“Dunno.” He rumbles. “Wonder where they keep the food.”

“I’m guessing one way leads to the check-in station.” Raditz says thoughtfully. “So where does the other way lead?” He flies to the road and lands, crossing his arms over his chest. “You said you can sense ki, right?”

“Yeah.” Nappa says, landing next to him. 

“Well?” Raditz prompts. Nappa shrugs. 

“I don’t sense anything.” He replies. “Let’s just go this way and see where it takes us. And we should walk to conserve energy.”

“Okay.” Raditz mumbles, following when Nappa starts walking. 

—

They walk forever, then they fly forever, then they walk forever again, and Raditz is tired, hot, and so fucking hungry by the time Nappa stops and stiffens that he nearly explodes when he runs into the big man’s back

“Oh shit, look!” Nappa says, pulling Raditz out of the murderous impulse building under his skin. He steps around Nappa and squints in the direction he’s pointing. 

“What?” He huffs, not seeing anything. 

“Look, you fuckin idiot.” Nappa barks, and Raditz is instantly angry again. He’s in no mood for names. 

“Speak to me like that one more time, you—“

“Just look, Raditz.” Nappa says again, jabbing his finger at the horizon. Raditz snorts and looks again. 

“Is that a —“

“It’s a fuckin castle! Let’s go!” Nappa cuts in, then turns and takes off toward it at full speed. 

“Hey!” Raditz yells, taking off after him. “We don’t know who’s in there. We should be careful.”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s fine. We’ll just kill whoever it is.” Nappa shoots back over his shoulder. Raditz frowns. If Yemma was any indication, killing the denizens of Other World is much easier said than done. 

They land on a platform in front of the gate, which swings open almost immediately. Raditz’s tail bristles instinctively, tightening around his waist. 

“Oh my, he looks just like that Goku fellow, doesn’t he!” A shrill voice cuts through the air, followed shortly by a beautiful woman with blue-green skin and a fur coat. She breezes right past Nappa to stand directly in front of Raditz, her tiny hands grabbing his arm and pulling him toward her. “But he’s so much taller and more muscular! And his _hair!_ ”

“Mistress, what about the other one?” Another woman says softly, appearing at the threshold of the gate. 

“Yes, he’s quite handsome, too.” The first woman says, tugging on Raditz’s arm. “You two must be famished, escaping from Hell like that. Come. Let me feed you.” She says, smiling brightly up at him. Raditz stiffens, shooting a panicked look at Nappa. “Now, now, don’t you worry. I would never tell on such handsome men. It wouldn’t benefit me much if you were destroyed now, would it?” 

“You said you have food?” Nappa asks, clearly unconcerned by all of this. Raditz growls at him. 

“Of course!” The woman replies, hooking her arm with Raditz’s. “Now come along. Let Princess Snake take care of everything.”

—

“We can’t eat this.” Raditz says, his voice flat and tired. Nappa shoots him a look. 

“Don’t be rude.” He growls. 

“Oh, of course you can!” Princess Snake replies cheerfully. “You see, when you crossed over onto Snake Way, your bodies were restored to you!” She gestures grandly at the veritable feast before them and grins. “So please, dig in!”

“This isn’t a trick?” Raditz asks, still suspicious. Nappa huffs and begins eating despite him. 

“Oh gods, this is so fucking good.” He groans. “Pardon my language, ma’am.” 

“No, no, just enjoy!” Princess Snake crows, turning to look at Raditz again. “I know you must be hungry, my dear. Please eat.” Raditz huffs and stares down at his food, still wary, and picks up the spoon next to his hand. 

The first bite hits Raditz like a punch to the jaw. The flavor of his mother’s sea serpent stew bursting in his mouth, taking him right back to his childhood, before all the fighting and killing and heartache. And before he can stop it, before he even knows it’s happening, tears fill his eyes and spill over his cheeks, a cascade of emotion he hasn’t allowed himself to show anyone in so long rushing out of him all at once. He puts an elbow on the table and hides his face with his hand, chewing slowly, trembling so much that the spoon slips out of his fingers and clatters onto the floor.

“Sorry.” He whispers, not trusting his voice. He feels a small, cool hand on his shoulder, gentle and comforting. 

“It’s quite alright, my dear.” Princess Snake says softly. Another spoon appears next to his hand, and he picks it up immediately, attacking the stew like he used to when he was small. He can almost hear his mother giggling, telling him to slow down before he gets a bellyache. He sobs openly, embarrassingly, nearly choking on his food. “Oh my. So much pain in this beautiful, strong body of yours. So much pain.” The princess murmurs, putting her arms around his shoulders and bending to rest her head against his. He leans into her touch, feeling like a lost child, and he doesn’t care that Nappa is staring at him. That all of Princess Snake’s attendants are looking at him with such pity in their eyes. 

He eats until he’s full for the first time in so long that the feeling is completely foreign to him. He almost starts crying again, it feels so good to be satisfied. 

“Would you like me to draw you a bath?” One of the attendants asks shyly, blushing when he looks at her. She’s beautiful, even more so than the princess, and his thoughts drift to his next most pressing need.

“Okay.” He says softly, smiling at her, at the way her face flushes even deeper. 

“I’ll come get you when it’s ready.” She breathes, turning and almost running out of the room.

Raditz sighs and leans back in his chair, ready to be free of his armor. His tail hangs limp behind him like a cooked noodle, and he can’t bring himself to draw it back up around his waist. He feels heavy and relaxed, and it’s not a feeling he is used to by any means. 

“You okay over there?” Nappa asks after a moment. Raditz looks at him, narrowing his eyes. 

“Fine.” He growls. “I don’t wanna hear it.”

“I get it.” The big man says, raising a hand in surrender. “I’m not blind, y’know. I know you been hurtin’ for a long time. Guess I just didn’t realize how bad it’d gotten.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it.” Raditz snaps half-heartedly. “All you ever did was make fun of me anytime I dared to show my emotions.”

“I know.” Nappa murmurs, abashed. 

“Your bath is ready, sir.” That pretty attendant says, putting her hands on Raditz’s arm and tugging gently. He allows himself to be led to another room, his tail dragging lifelessly behind him. He hadn’t realized how fucking tired he was. 

He stands in the middle of the washroom, letting himself be undressed, closing his eyes as the attendant’s hands caress his skin. She helps him into the tub and begins washing him, pouring hot water over his arms and chest and into his hair. She washes his hair, scratching gently at his scalp, twisting soap into its lengths. Then her hands are on him again, soapy and delicate, her fingers massaging small circles into his muscles. He groans, his head falling back onto the raised wall of the tub, his body relaxing completely under the attendant’s gentle touch. 

She pays close attention to every inch of his body, drifting lower, over his chest and abdomen, her fingers ghosting across his lower belly before skipping to his thighs. She lifts each leg, working soap into his skin, even taking a moment to massage his feet. 

“Is there anywhere I missed?” She asks innocently, finding his tail in the water and working soap into the fur. She squeezes gently at the base, making Raditz’s hips buck involuntarily, gasping with a combination of shock and need. 

“Mmhmm.” He hums, opening his eyes to look at her. She’s bright red in the face as her hands slide back around his hip and over his lower belly, pressing and kneading there for a moment, then her hands drift lower and lower until suddenly her fingers are sliding over his cock. He’s half hard already from all the touching and that squeeze on his tail, and when her slender fingers slip down to stroke his balls, a moan rips out of him, embarrassingly loud. 

She palms his cock and coaxes his erection to fullness, long and slow strokes that have him breathing hard in an instant. He lifts his hands out of the water to grip the sides of the tub, his muscles tightening as she squeezes and caresses. His hips buck and he moans again, but while this feels so good, it’s not enough. 

He opens his eyes and looks at her, watching the way her own eyes roam his body, an expression of longing on her beautiful face. 

“Hey.” He breathes, reaching up and gently grabbing her chin. “Join me.”

“I shouldn’t.” She whispers, but that’s bullshit. She wants him, and Raditz is more than happy to oblige. 

“Come here.” He says, pulling her face to his and kissing her. She freezes for a moment, then melts into his touch, opening her mouth and kissing him back, pressing her tongue against his, crowding forward to push her free hand into his hair. The hand on his cock is still working, and he grabs it, pulling her off balance so that she lands in the water on top of him. She gasps as her knees fall on either side of his hips, kissing him again as his hands slide up her legs.

He undresses her quickly, tossing her soaked kimono onto the floor and grabbing her ass with both hands. He pulls her up and presses his mouth to one peaked nipple, sucking and swirling his tongue over her skin, one hand slipping over her ass and between her legs to draw his fingers over her slit. 

“Princess Snake will kill me if she finds out about this.” She moans, pushing back against his fingers. Her tit pops out of his mouth and she presses her lips to his again, kissing him deeply. 

“I ain’t tellin if you ain’t.” He growls, slipping one finger inside her. 

“I’ve been admiring you since you got here.” She whispers. “You Saiyans have such a beautiful physique.” She moans again as he inserts another finger, pumping slowly. “I was so excited when the princess asked me to bathe you. I wanted to see if you were so well endowed elsewhere as well. I wondered what you would feel like inside me. And the way you looked at me before…” 

She pushes her hands into his hair and rolls her hips against his fingers, kissing him and biting his bottom lip hard. His own hips buck at the pain, and she almost sounds frustrated when he pulls his hand away. He grabs her hips and pulls her down, her pussy sliding along the underside of his cock and drawing a long, low moan out of both of them. Her hand finds him in the water, positioning him at her entrance before she sinks down onto him. 

“You’re so big.” She hisses, shuddering as she clenches around him, and he has to fight to keep his hips still while she works to relax and adjust. 

“Easy.” He murmurs, kissing her again, one hand cupping her breast, his thumb swiping over her nipple. She shudders again and bows over him, tilting her pelvis and rising, and it has been so long since Raditz has had a woman that he can barely control himself. 

She rides him, her mouth locked with his, moaning softly as she sinks down, slow and sweet. He lets her set the pace at first, finding her rhythm before pushing up to meet her, savoring the little punched out sounds she makes as he fucks her. Then she pushes back hard, whimpering against his lips, and Raditz adjusts his grip on her hips and slams her down on his cock, swallowing her cry with a filthy kiss. 

“Lean back.” He purrs, lifting his knees so that she can rest against his thighs. She does as he tells her, and the change in angle has her gasping and moaning loudly as he hits the sweet spot inside her over and over again. She comes on his cock, clenching around him and bringing him over the edge right along with her, his hips shuddering to a stop as he spills wildly inside her. “Fuck.” He breathes, his hands falling from her hips and into the water. 

“Yeah.” She giggles breathlessly, leaning forward to press another kiss to his lips.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We meet a certain bandit!
> 
> Use your imagination for why Princess Snake isn’t eating them, because I got nothin’ lmao.

“You’re in a good mood.” Nappa comments when Raditz comes back to the dining hall. “Enjoy your bath?”

“Mmhmm.” Raditz hums, grinning at the big man. “Even had a nap.”

“And got laid.” Nappa snorts. Raditz laughs at that. 

“You been here the whole time?” He says instead, looking at the empty plates on the table. 

“Nah, I wandered around the place for a bit. Explored the grounds.”

“Find anything?”

“Nah. For a princess, she sure doesn’t have much stuff to rummage through. Kinda disappointin, actually.” Nappa sighs and takes a pull straight from one of the bottles of wine. “Anyway, this has been fun, but I think we should get movin.”

“Yeah.” Raditz replies, grabbing some kind of fruit and taking a big bite. “I think you’re right. This place is fucking weird. And I think the food’s drugged.”

“Not a very strong drug.” Nappa says, shoving a forkful of meat in his mouth. 

“That attendant said something about Princess Snake being pissed if she found out we fucked.” 

“Think she wants you as her own personal sex slave?” Nappa laughs, and Raditz can’t help but chuckle. 

“If I did, I wouldn’t be agreeing we should leave, now, would I?” He shoots back, making Nappa laugh harder.

“I think we’ll be okay tonight if we sleep in shifts. Just treat it like a war zone. Can’t get far if we’re too full and tired to fly.” Nappa says after a while. “There are bedrooms back that way. You take first shift since you got a nap in earlier.”

“Yeah, okay.” Raditz says, following Nappa down a long hall. There’s an oversized bed on the far wall of one of the rooms, and a couple of comfortable looking chairs in the corner. Nappa flops onto the bed fully clothed, and is asleep in seconds, snoring loudly. Raditz takes his station next to the door, choosing to stand so that he doesn’t accidentally fall asleep while on watch. 

Nappa sleeps for several hours, which pass relatively uneventfully. There’s a bit of a commotion out in the hall at one point, but it passes almost as quickly as it had come. When Nappa finally wakes, Raditz is confident enough that nothing will happen that he falls asleep just as easily as his companion had. 

“Hey, Raditz. Wake up. We gotta move.” Nappa’s voice says quietly in his ear a few hours later, and Raditz is awake in an instant and battle ready. “S’alright, I think. But a relatively large power source just stopped at the castle.”

“Think we should check it out?” Raditz asks, sitting up and stretching, his tail curling with the effort before slotting firmly around his waist. 

“Yeah.” Nappa says, and despite reassuring Raditz that it’s alright, he looks concerned. 

“How long was I asleep?” Raditz asks. He feels rested, but he knows it hadn’t been a terribly long rest. 

“Couple hours.” Nappa replies, opening the door and sticking his head out. “You sleep okay?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Raditz mumbles, following Nappa out into the hall. 

“You tossed a lot.” Nappa presses. “Bad dreams?”

“About my brother.” Raditz admits. He’d dreamt about his own death, and Kakarot’s death, again. How it was his fault that Kakarot had died in the first place. 

“Don’t worry. I’m sure he’s just fine.” Nappa sneers. “Vegeta’s probably in Hell right now wonderin where the fuck we are, courtesy of Kakarot. Fuckin bastard.”

“We shouldn’t have gone to earth.” Raditz huffs. 

“That’s something we can agree on, kid.” Nappa replies. 

There’s a loud bang nearby, sending them both to the ground. They creep along the wall, listening hard to the screaming just beyond, and when they get to the end of the hall, Nappa peeks around the corner, holding a hand out to signal to Raditz. 

“It’s one ‘a those fuckers we killed. The one with the scarred up mug.” He hisses, motioning Raditz forward. He scoots up to Nappa and looks around the wall. A man with long hair and an orange gi is standing in the courtyard, wide-stanced and ready to fight. Raditz can smell the fear coming off of him in waves, sour and pungent. 

“What’s he squaring up to?” Raditz asks, leaning to see. 

“Looks like a big fuckin snake.” Nappa replies, pointing. Just then, a giant serpent slides into view, coiling up and hissing at the man. 

“Should we do something?” Raditz asks, feeling uneasy. 

“You goin soft on me, kid?” Nappa shoots back, frowning at him. “Not our fight.” 

The snake lunges at the man, nearly grabbing him as he clumsily scrambles away. He turns and fires a ki blast at it, staring stupidly as the beast takes the hit without flinching and lunges at him again. And Raditz doesn’t know if it’s because this idiot and his stupid orange gi reminds him of Kakarot or if he just feels sorry for him, but he can’t just watch him get eaten by a giant fucking snake. He launches forward and is at the man’s side in an instant, grabbing his arm and hauling him out of the way and into the air. He’s so fast that the snake loses them completely, twisting back and forth and hissing angrily. 

Nappa appears next to him then, red-faced and angry. 

“C’mon, you dumbass. Now that you put yourself in this, we gotta get the fuck outta here before that fuckin thing finds us.” He hisses, grabbing the front of Raditz’s armor and yanking him forward. 

“Hey, who the— shit, look out!” The man yelps suddenly. Raditz dodges the snake’s strike, pulling the earthling along behind him. He turns and takes off for the road, flying hard and fast, glad he’d had the chance to eat and rest while he could. “I don’t think it’s following us.” The man says after a while, carefully trying to pull out of Raditz’s grip, as though afraid he’ll notice. 

“Yeah, looks clear. Let’s land and regroup.” Nappa says, narrowing his eyes at Raditz. “I can’t believe you. Fuckin pathetic.”

“Shut the fuck up, Nappa. We were leaving anyway.” Raditz snarls, releasing his grip on the man’s arm when they land. 

“This bastard’s a complete waste of space. He was killed by saibamen. Fuckin saibamen. You risked your existence for a goddamned mouse.” Nappa yells, squaring up and moving into Raditz’s space. 

“So what? You coulda left. You didn’t have to expose yourself too.” Raditz says, meeting the big man’s challenge. 

“Hey, can you two meatheads stop fighting for ten seconds?” The man snaps suddenly, crossing his arms over his chest. “And also speak a language I can actually understand?”

“Were you privy to this conversation, we _might_ speak your earth language. But you aren’t, so we won’t.” Nappa roars, making the man flinch. 

“Oh shit, I recognize you.” He says, eyes wide. “Oh fuck, oh shit, stay the fuck away from me.”

“Hey, easy.” Raditz says, putting himself between Nappa and the earthling. 

“So you must be that Radish guy. The one that claimed to be Goku’s brother.” The man growls, fear shaking in his voice. “You kidnapped Goku’s kid and got Goku killed.”

“ _Raditz_. And I _am_ Kakarot’s brother.” He huffs, irritated. “And yes, I did some things while on earth that I regret. But I never meant to get anyone killed.”

“Bullshit!” The man yells, backing away. 

“Look, it doesn’t matter anymore, does it? And will you stop looking at me like I’m going to kill you? If I'd wanted you dead, I would have let the snake eat you.” Raditz snaps, turning to face him fully. The man flinches, watching him with wide, scared eyes. 

“C’mon, you ain’t changin his mind. Let’s just leave him here.” Nappa growls. 

“Yeah, and he might know where this road leads.” Raditz snaps, then turns back to the man. “What’s your name, anyway?” The man stares at him for a long time, as though trying to decide if this is a trick. 

“Yamcha.” He finally says. 

“Okay, Yamcha. Where are you going?” Raditz asks. Yamcha narrows his eyes. 

“Like I would tell you. You’re evil.” He replies, his voice cold. 

“Sure, I’m evil. That’s why I saved your ass back there.” 

“I don’t know why you did that, but it’s not because you’re suddenly a good guy.”

“You’re wastin your breath, kid.” Nappa grumbles, turning to look around. “Well, now that we don’t have a food source, I wonder how we get the fuck outta here and back to the land a’ the livin.”

“Beats me.” Raditz sighs, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Can y’all leave so I can get going?” Yamcha cuts in, flinching when Nappa and Raditz both look at him. 

“Go ahead. Nobody’s stopping you.” Nappa says. 

“Yeah right. I don’t want you to follow me.” Yamcha replies. 

“Fine. You wanna get eaten by whatever else calls this place home, be my guest.” Raditz snorts. “We know which way you came from already, anyway. Not exactly difficult to figure out which way you’re headed.”

“You’re bluffing.” Yamcha says, eyes widening and flicking to Raditz’s tail where it’s still cinched around his waist. 

“We Saiyans have a keen sense of smell.” Nappa says with a grin. “But you already knew that, didn’t you? You are friends with Kakarot after all.”

“Bullshit, you can’t smell that well.” Yamcha says. Raditz shrugs and points down the road. 

“You smell like onions and fear sweat. And that’s all I can smell coming from that way.” He says, smirking at Yamcha’s stunned expression. “But this way, there is no smell at all, other than petrichor and stone. So wherever it is you are going, you’re going this way to get there.”

“Guess I’m not getting out of this, then, huh?” Yamcha grumbles, scowling at the ground. Raditz hums. “King Kai will just have to kill you when we get there.”

“There’s no need to be quite so hostile.” Raditz huffs. “Nappa’s a dick—“

“Hey!”

“—but I did not come to earth to kill anyone, nor did I want to. I wanted Kakarot to come back with me because we needed another Saiyan to finally challenge Frieza. Even a low class Saiyan like my baby brother would have tipped the scales in our favor. The only reason Nappa and Vegeta came to earth is because your Namekian friend killed me and blabbed about the dragon balls. Had Kakarot just come with me, none of this would have happened, and we could have destroyed the greatest threat in the universe.” Raditz explains. Yamcha snorts. 

“So you’re saying all of this was because of your altruism? I ain’t buyin it, buddy.” He snaps, stepping up to Raditz and poking his chest. “And anyway, you wanted Goku to kill 100 people as a ‘show of good faith.’ What’s your excuse for that?”

“As if he’d turn down a chance to fight.” Raditz replies with a shrug. “He’s a Saiyan. It’s in his blood to rise to a challenge. I only took my nephew to ensure he would follow, and I told him to kill 100 earthlings because I knew it would piss him off and give him another reason to come fight me.” He chuckles then, shaking his head. “As for altruism, I admit that I am not a good man, nor do I want to be. I simply wish to kill Frieza so that my companions and I can be free from his tyranny. I was merely hoping Kakarot would help change the tide of war. And with real training, he might have.”

“Not that that matters now.” Nappa says with a chuckle, bearing at the earthling. “Vegeta’s probably killed him by now.”

“No way. Goku’s way stronger than that asshole.” Yamcha says, sounding more like an indignant child than anything. 

“I doubt that very much, considering he couldn’t even beat this kid here without help.” Nappa says, playfully shoving Raditz’s shoulder. Raditz snorts and rolls his eyes. 

“Anyway, we better get moving.” He says, looking down at Yamcha. “Unless you have a problem with us tagging along.”

“Of course I have a problem with it.” Yamcha snaps. “But I guess I don’t have a choice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the story doesn’t really address this much, because it’s not really important, but when Nappa and Raditz are talking to each other, they’re speaking whatever language that Saiyans speak. I don’t indicate that with italics or asterisks or anything, because I don’t like that, so instead I write in dialect. The more formal speech they use with everyone else is the common tongue (whatever that is, linguistically it doesn’t make sense but it’s fine lol). I’m a fucking nerd and I actually have a degree in linguistics, so at one point I had a whole three paragraphs where Raditz explained how he’s able to clearly communicate with the folks on earth, but I cut it because it was way too wordy and boring. If anyone’s interested, I can rewrite it as a headcanon on my tumblr and link it in one of the next chapters


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s a lot of exposition in this chapter, and the version of Raditz’s history here is just one that I wrote because it fit the story I wanted to tell. I wrote out my real head canons about Gine and Bardock’s class and battle power levels [here on my Tumblr](https://crmsndragonwngs.tumblr.com/post/625191284136673280/okay-hear-me-out-what-if-bardock-was-a-low-class), if anyone’s interested. I also took some liberties with Yamcha’s background. 
> 
> And finally, Raditz is dramatic as _fuck_ in this chapter lol

They fly until Yamcha gets tired. Raditz offers to carry him, but he’s offended by the very idea and tells him to go to Hell, which Raditz finds hilarious. So they land instead, walking briskly, their boots tapping lightly on the stone the only sound in the air around them. It’s not long before Yamcha is lagging behind, his foot falls significantly heavier than Nappa and Raditz’s, despite being half their size. He stops, sitting heavily on the road, and when the Saiyans turn to look at him, he’s scowling at them with an almost betrayed look on his face. 

“How are you two still so peppy? We’ve been walking forever, I’m exhausted.” He grouses, narrowing his eyes. 

“Well, you’re really very weak. I’m surprised you’ve kept up this long, honestly.” Nappa replies, crossing his arms over his chest. “But I suppose we could rest a moment.”

“Ugh, thank god.” Yamcha groans, flopping backward onto the road. “I’m gonna close my eyes for a minute. Please don’t kill me.”

“We could kill him. That would be fun.” Nappa remarks quietly, grinning when Raditz hits his shoulder. 

“You know, maybe if we’re nice to him and convince him we’re not gonna kill anybody, he might vouch for us with this King Kai. Maybe Kakarot will resurrect us if that happens, since we know Vegeta probably fucking won’t.” Raditz retorts. He sits down and lets his tail relax and fall onto the road. 

“It’s hard to sleep with you two yapping.” Yamcha growls. 

“Just plotting your death, that’s all.” Nappa replies cheerfully. Yamcha sits bolt upright, staring. 

“He’s fucking with you.” Raditz reassures him, tail twitching. “Go to sleep. I’ll keep him in line.”

“Oh you will, huh?” Nappa snorts, slapping the back of his head. 

“You know, I still haven’t forgiven you for all the shit you put me through before you sent me to my death.” Raditz snarls. “And anyway, you’re not my fucking superior. You haven’t been a general since before I was even fucking born, so cut the tough shit, you fucking prick. You answered to Vegeta the same as I did. You’re not better than me just because you had a title once.”

“Nah, I’m better than you because I’m a mid-class warrior.” Nappa says, and Raditz knows he’s just trying to piss him off, but he can’t help it. 

“So am I! So was my father!” Raditz roars, on his feet before he can think better of it. “I’m not fucking weak, and you know it.”

“Yeah, but you’re mommy was. And you always were a mama’s boy, weren’t you, _baby?_ ” Nappa croons, and that’s it. 

Raditz is going to fucking kill Nappa. 

He focuses his ki into the palm of one hand and releases a wild arc of raw power at the big man, hitting him square in the chest and knocking him backward off the road. He tumbles for a moment before regaining his balance and righting himself in the air, sneering at Raditz. 

“That all you got?” He growls. Raditz’s tail lashes the air, and he knows he should calm down but he _can’t_. He fires another wild ki wave at Nappa, some bastardized version of Double Sunday because he can’t think through the red haze in his brain, watching as it hits the big man in the face. He lands hard on the road beneath him, groaning as he struggles onto his hands and knees. “Okay, that was better.” He huffs. “Now it’s my turn.” He fires his own attack at Raditz, focused and powerful, but Raditz knocks it aside with one hand. Nappa stares at him, clearly shocked. 

“Take it back.” Raditz says, his voice shaking, and he doesn’t care that he sounds like a child. 

“What?” Nappa asks, still stunned. 

“Take back what you said, you bastard!” He screams, and when Yamcha grabs his arm, it takes everything in him not to turn and break his neck. 

“Hey, I don’t know what y’all are screaming at each other about, but you need to calm down.” The human says, flinching and withdrawing when Raditz looks down at him with a snarl on his face. “Let it go. Whatever he said, just let it go.” And that shouldn’t work. That shouldn’t be enough, but suddenly the rage drains out of Raditz and he just feels tired. 

“Get your hands off me.” He says, jerking his arm out of Yamcha’s grip. 

“Okay. Sorry.” Yamcha says, holding his hands up. “I don’t know what the dynamic is between the two of you, but I get the feeling that you don’t like each other much.”

“You know nothing.” Raditz growls, and Yamcha seems to take the warning to heart. “Take your damn nap.” He huffs, sitting down again. 

Nappa stays away, watching Raditz warily, like he’s really seeing him for the first time. 

“So don’t get mad, but I’m not tired anymore.” Yamcha says with a nervous laugh. Raditz narrows his eyes at him. 

“Then we should get moving again.” He says, moving to stand, tail twitching with irritation. 

“No, no wait! I still need a break, man. I just… do you wanna talk? You look like you need a friend. And while I don’t fucking trust you, and you have no reason to trust me, I’m a pretty good listener.” Yamcha laughs then. “Meaning, I won’t remember a damn word you say because I’m an idiot. So you won’t have to worry about me blabbing to anyone.” Raditz stares at him, scowling deeply, then looks down at his hands. 

“Called me weak.” He huffs, tail slapping the road. 

“Hey, I get that. I’ve been called weak too. You gotta learn to let it go.” 

“You actually are weak. I’m not.” Raditz snaps, sticking his nose in the air. 

“Rude.”

“I’m not as strong as Vegeta or Nappa, but nobody is. Vegeta is our prince, and the strongest Saiyan born in 1,000 years. Nappa was the general of the Saiyan army and the right hand of the king.” He snorts and crosses his arms over his chest. “I am a mid-class warrior, same as Nappa. I am the son of a mid-class warrior, and I have served most of my life at my prince’s side. But my mother was low-class and my brother was even weaker. For whatever reason, it is assumed I take after my mother, as my brother did, though I have proven time and again that I am my father’s son. Stronger, even, than he was.” 

“Nothing wrong with taking after your mom, you know.” Yamcha says with a shrug. Raditz narrows his eyes at him. 

“I never said there was.” He growls.

“You keep referring to her in the past tense. What happened to her?” Yamcha asks, looking alarmed when Raditz flinches. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer that.”

“A meteor hit our planet and killed our entire race.” He snorts, looking away. “Or so we were told. It’s much more likely that Frieza destroyed our home.”

“This Frieza guy’s a real bad dude, huh?” Yamcha asks. Raditz looks at him, perplexed. 

“He is the most fearsome creature in the universe. Death and destruction are his business, and he is very good at it.” He replies after a while. “Only the Super Saiyan can defeat him.”

“Super Saiyan?”

“The ultimate warrior. The embodiment of rage and righteous fury, and the pride of our race.” Raditz explains, unable to keep the reverence from his voice. “He was supposed to deliver us from Frieza’s tyranny. Now, all we can hope for is revenge. Not that there’s actually a chance either way. It’s just a myth”

“I’m sorry.” Yamcha murmurs. Raditz huffs. 

“Why? It is no concern of yours. And Kakarot clearly does not remember our planet, race, or family.”

“Yeah, but obviously it still hurts you. And I’m sorry that you’re in pain.” Yamcha replies. 

“Do not presume to care about my feelings. I am well aware of your hatred for me and my people, and I do not need nor want your pity.” Raditz growls. 

“Okay. I hear ya.” Yamcha concedes. “I didn’t know my parents. I was an orphan.” He laughs softly, glancing up at Raditz. “I ran away from the orphanage I was in when I was nine years old. I robbed people so that I could eat and buy stuff. When I met Goku, I tried to rob him.” He shakes his head then, meeting Raditz’s eyes and studying him hard enough to make Raditz uncomfortable. “He’s a good man. And I don’t believe that anyone related to him could be truly evil. And listening to you talk about your mom, I’m definitely not convinced that you’re all bad. There’s gotta be some good in there somewhere.” 

Raditz stares at him, completely baffled, then begins to laugh. Really laugh, big and loud, and it surprises him as much as it surprises Yamcha. He hasn’t laughed like this in a long time. Not since he and Vegeta were kids, before their planet had been destroyed, when war was still like a game to them instead of a waking nightmare. 

“I must admit, earthling, I am impressed with how flippant you are in your attempts to psychoanalyze me.” He says, still laughing. “You are either very brave or very stupid, but I appreciate your candidness regardless. Your fearlessness is admirable, if foolish.”

“You’re not gonna kill me for that, are you?” Yamcha asks, worry pulling at his features. Raditz laughs again, his head thrown back and tail curling. 

“No, I’m not going to kill you.” He says, his stomach beginning to ache. “Speaking of my little brother, I do have some questions, since you seem to have been his companion for some time, if you are comfortable with speaking of him.” He says once he is able to regain his composure. 

“Uh, sure. What do you wanna know?” Yamcha replies, almost defensively. 

“The man who raised him, he was a good man?” Raditz asks, feeling a little silly. Yamcha looks surprised. 

“Yeah, I mean, I guess. His grandpa died before I met him, but he talked about him a lot. He taught him Kung Fu, and how to hunt and fish. And Goku loved him enough to name his son after him.” Yamcha says, looking down at his hands. 

“It is good that he had someone to teach him these things. He had such a low power level when he was born. He would have died on his own, even on a planet so nondescript as earth.” Raditz murmurs, and he’s not sure why he cares so much. He had barely had a chance to interact with Kakarot when his parents finally took him out of the incubator, before he was sent on his first mission with Nappa. But he looked so much like their father, and he acted so much like their mother…

“That’s kind of rude.” Yamcha snorts. 

“I meant no offense.” Raditz replies genuinely. 

“Nah, I get it, I guess.” Yamcha sighs, glancing up at him. “Anyway, Goku killed his grandpa by accident. Turned into a giant monkey on the full moon and went berserk. Poor guy doesn’t even know it was him. He thought some monster had gotten him.”

“The Oozaru.” Raditz corrects. Yamcha blinks at him. “Our true power. Few can control it.”

“Yeah, I saw him transform a couple of times. He was scary. Completely lost himself and nearly killed all of us.” Yamcha says. “Can— can you control it?” Raditz blinks, his tail twitching, annoyed. 

“No.” He huffs after a moment. “Only warriors who have undergone the training can.”

“Damn.” Yamcha sighs, shaking his head. “You guys are damn scary.” Raditz snorts. 

“We are a warrior race. We live and die fighting. It’s as natural as breathing. The Oozaru is simply a tool that we use to meet that end.” He says, watching the earthling. His tail flicks of its own mind, and Yamcha’s eyes follow it warily, as though it might bite him. 

“Anyway, what else did you wanna ask about Goku?” Yamcha prompts, changing the subject. 

“What happened to his tail?” Raditz asks immediately. 

“You know, I don’t actually know. When I asked him about it, he just said that Kami, the guardian of earth, traded Goku’s tail for the moon.” Yamcha says, laughing at Raditz’s confused look. “When we were kids, we went to the World Tournament— that’s a tournament where all the best fighters on earth compete— and he ended up transforming. To stop him from rampaging and killing everyone, his opponent destroyed the moon. No moon, no transformation. Apparently Kami summoned Goku to his lookout and told him that he would only restore the moon if he let Kami permanently remove his tail.” 

“That is tragic.” Raditz says, his own tail bristling and tucking around his waist. 

“Better than accidentally killing someone he loves.” Yamcha points out. “Just...if you get resurrected, please don’t tell him. It’ll crush him to find out he accidentally killed his grandfather.”

“Fine.” Raditz says. “Though I doubt I’ll ever see him again.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Yamcha replies breezily. “You’ve been surprisingly decent with me, even though you have no reason to be. And you’re clearly not a huge fan of your friend over there.”

“You assume that I believe I’m not getting out of here.” Raditz huffs. “You also assume that if I did, I would stay on earth.”

“Well, maybe I’m assuming those things because they’re true.” Yamcha says. Raditz sighs and looks away. 

He doesn’t believe he’s ever getting out of here. He’s not even sure if he wants to. Sometimes he just wishes he would stop existing, other times he wishes he could go wherever his parents are. Still other times, he believes that he deserves to suffer in Hell for all that he’s done. 

“Anyway, I’m kinda sleepy again. I think I’m gonna try to get some shut eye.” Yamcha says after a while, yawning hugely. 

“Fine.” Raditz murmurs. 

“Don’t let that big asshole fuck with me.” Yamcha growls, making Raditz laugh. 

“I won’t.” He says, glancing sideways at the other Saiyan sulking further down the road.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little more exposition

“Were the women on Planet Vegeta beautiful?” Yamcha asks, jogging to catch up again. 

“Some were.” Raditz replies, not bothering to slow his long stride. 

“Was there a moon?”

“No, the planet wouldn’t have survived it.”

“Do female Saiyans transform too?”

“Any Saiyan with a tail can transform.”

“Were there tailless Saiyans?”

“Rarely, but yes.”

“Were all the dudes as big as you and Nappa?”

“No, only mid class and elite warriors. Low class warriors, like Kakarot, were smaller.”

“So why is Vegeta so small?”

Raditz stiffens at that question, cutting his eyes to Nappa. The big man had been surprisingly quiet since they had started walking again. He hadn’t objected to Yamcha asking questions about their race and culture, but he hadn’t seemed terribly happy about it either. Now he’s scowling fiercely at the road ahead of them, his ears turning red with anger. 

“I think that’s enough questions.” Raditz says quietly, shooting the earthling a warning glance. 

“Oh. Yeah, sure.” Yamcha replies, sounding disappointed. “What if I just asked stuff about you, then?” Raditz looks at Nappa again. His shoulders are more relaxed, but he still looks unhappy. 

“Fine.” Raditz sighs. Yamcha jogs to catch up again and studies him carefully. 

“What’s with the armor?” He asks. Raditz snorts. 

“Be more specific.”

“Like what’s it for?”

“It’s armor, it’s to protect the wearer from an attack that might otherwise incapacitate them.”

“But why does it look like...that?”

“I don’t know. It’s just how it looks.”

“Why do you wear those bands?”

“They support old injuries.” Raditz says carefully, not sure he wants to go too far into that. 

“Oh, I get it. Like for your hamstring and bicep tendons.” Yamcha says, nodding sagely. 

“Yes.” Raditz huffs. “They prevent reinjury.”

“Why’s your hair so long?”

“I was born with it.”

“That long, though?”

“No. A Saiyan’s hair grows as he does. It has always been just past my knees, no longer and no shorter. Once a Saiyan is fully matured, his hair stops growing completely.” Raditz replies, raking a hand through his hair self consciously. 

“Is it common for Saiyans to have long hair like yours.”

“No.” Nappa says then, surprising them both. “Raditz’s hair is the longest I have ever seen on any Saiyan, male or female.”

“Have you ever thought about cutting it?” 

“Absolutely not.” Raditz snaps. “It’s as much a part of me as my tail is.”

“Isn’t it a disadvantage in a fight, though? I would think it’d be too easy to grab.” Yamcha says, holding up his hands as an apology. 

“I’ve never let hair pulling stop a fight. It’s very strong and I am not tender-headed.” Raditz snorts. “It’s also quite dangerous to get close enough to pull it. Not many opponents get the opportunity.”

“Yeah, I can believe that.” Yamcha chuckles. “You have any questions about earth? I know I’ve been really annoying and you’ve been super patient, so if you wanna know anything, I’ll return the favor.”

“Do all earthlings talk so fucking much, or is it just you?” Nappa growls. 

“Depends totally on the person.” Yamcha replies cheerfully, grinning impishly when Raditz glances at him. Nappa huffs and strides ahead, finally done with this conversation.

“My nephew, Gohan. What happened to him after the Namekian killed me and Kakarot?” Raditz asks quietly, slowing down so that Yamcha can finally fall into step beside him. 

“Piccolo took him out into the wilderness to train him.” Yamcha replies, frowning. “I don’t know all the details, but when he came back he was way stronger. Like a different kid completely.” Raditz feels an odd sense of pride at that. He had gotten a taste of the boy’s power before. He had the potential to be stronger even than Vegeta, and the Namekian was more than capable of cultivating that power. Kakarot’s son, his nephew, stronger than the strongest Saiyan born in 1,000 years, the prince of all Saiyans. The idea sends a giddy thrill through Raditz’s body. 

“He will make a fine warrior.” Raditz murmurs. “Assuming Vegeta doesn’t kill him.”

“You assholes have been the greatest threat earth has ever seen. Until your buddies showed up, you were the strongest being that had ever been on earth. Even stronger than Goku and Piccolo.” Yamcha says, sounding serious. “And then when Goku died, and you told Piccolo that more of you were coming… Damn. I’ve never been so scared in my life. Goku’s the strongest warrior on earth, and he died trying to defeat you. How would we survive two more? And they knew about the dragon balls, what would we do if they resurrected you?”

“That was never a concern.” Raditz huffs. “Vegeta had no intention of bringing me back. And then he killed Nappa himself.”

“Wait, what?” Yamcha says, his voice high and reedy. “Vegeta killed _him?_ ”

“Yes. I don’t know why.” Raditz replies. 

“We are never going to get there if we just walk. We need to fly, and we need to fly fast.” Nappa growls suddenly, turning on them. 

“I’m totally wiped, guys. And even on a good day, I can’t fly half as fast as you two.” Yamcha complains, crossing his arms over his chest. Raditz strides toward him, ignoring the way the earthling flinches away from him, and grabs his arm above the elbow. “Hey, let me go.” He says, pulling weakly. Raditz hauls him into the air and looks at Nappa. 

“I got him. Let’s go.” He says, and they both take off hard and fast. Raditz grips Yamcha’s arm hard, dragging the human behind him like dead weight. 

“Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!” Yamcha screams, his voice nearly lost to the wind, reaching up with his other hand to grab Raditz’s wrist. “Don’t you drop me!”

“I’m not gonna drop you, calm down.” Raditz yells back, tightening his grip even further. 

“Ah! Don’t break my arm either!” 

“My gods, do you ever stop complaining?” Nappa roars, glancing back at him. 

“I’m not gonna break your arm. Just hold on.” Raditz says, pulling his arm up so that Yamcha can grab the collar of his armor. He grabs one of Yamcha’s wrists with his other hand to make sure he doesn’t fall, then puts his arm around his waist. “Better?”

“Yeah.” Yamcha says, sounding relieved. He’s still got a death grip on Raditz’s collar, but he seems more at ease. “Thanks.”

“Fuckin’ pathetic.” Nappa growls. 

“You wanna carry him?” Raditz shoots back. 

They fly for a long time, boosting through the clouds without much effort. Yamcha relaxes completely in Raditz’s grip, his fingers loose on his collar. He’s looking around at everything with some strange sense of wonder, and Raditz is curious despite himself. 

“You okay?” He asks. Yamcha looks at him and grins. 

“Yeah, I’m good.” He replies. “You guys are so fucking fast. There’s no way I would have been able to keep up on my own.” He looks down at the road beneath them thoughtfully. 

“What’s wrong?” Raditz asks at his frown. 

“Nothin. I was just thinking that we must be getting close to the end. The road is narrowing.” Yamcha replies. “See?” Raditz looks down and sees that he’s right. The road is steadily getting more and more narrow, tapering like the tail of a snake. “Can we keep this pace up?”

“Yes. We can fly around an entire planet twice earth’s size in two days if we have to. This isn’t even a workout.” Raditz replies. 

“Holy shit.” Yamcha breathes, almost inaudible. “Hey, if you get wished back to life, are you gonna destroy earth?” Raditz looks down at him, confused by the look of horror on his face. 

“No. I do not care about your planet enough to expend that kind of energy. Truthfully, I intend to leave if I am able.” He says, frowning. 

“What if you aren’t able to leave?” Yamcha presses. Raditz is quiet for a moment, thinking. What _would_ he do if he had to stay on earth?

“I suppose we shall have to wait and see.” He says at last. “But I can’t very well destroy a planet I am unable to leave, can I?”

“I guess not.” Yamcha murmurs. 

—

A small sphere-like object appears on the horizon. They’ve been flying for what seems like days, and Yamcha had somehow fallen asleep a few hours before. Raditz’s shoulder is getting very tired, and the wave of relief at seeing the object is almost overwhelming. 

“Is that where we’re headed?” Raditz asks, shaking Yamcha to wake him. 

“What?”

“Is that where we’re headed?”

“Oh, uh…yeah, I think.” Yamcha says, rubbing his eyes with his hands. 

“Thank the gods.” Nappa huffs. “I was beginning to think we’d never get there.”

They land on what seems to be a small planet and Raditz sets Yamcha down carefully, rolling his shoulder with a relieved groan. Yamcha immediately falls to his knees, shaking all over. 

“Are you okay?” Raditz asks. 

“How— how the hell are you still standing?” Yamcha grunts, trying to stand up and failing. “What the hell, I feel like I weigh a ton!”

“I mean, the gravity’s a bit higher than earth’s, but it’s not that bad.” Raditz says, looking at Nappa, who only shrugs. 

“You made it here in record time, Yamcha.” A voice lisps behind them. Raditz and Nappa both stiffen and turn around, facing a short, fat, blue man in a black qipao. “Though I didn’t expect to see two of the Saiyans responsible for your death tagging along with you.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that, King Kai.” Yamcha says, trying to stand again and falling back on his ass. “But I don’t think they’re all that bad. They saved me from that snake thing, and they’ve been really good to me.”

“To get on my good side, no doubt.” King Kai huffs. 

“You wish.” Nappa snorts. 

“I would think you would have been happy to be with your fellow Saiyans in Hell.”

“They’ve been dead for 20 years. We hardly know them.” Raditz says, unable to keep the sadness out of his voice. He wishes he belonged with the other Saiyans. But he doesn’t. And whether Nappa likes it or not, neither does he. 

“Not quite the family reunion you were expecting?” King Kai asks, like he’s genuinely curious. 

“To say the least.” Nappa replies. 

“Well, I’m not training any of you unless you can make me laugh.” King Kai snaps, sounding more like an indignant child than a god. 

“As if I need your training. Bet I could kick your ass right now.” Nappa says, stepping forward and straightening to his full height. There is silence for a moment, and it’s not until King Kai starts laughing that Raditz realizes he’d been holding his breath.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raditz has some regrets and finally shows Yamcha the depth of his trauma. Bonding ensues

Nappa and Raditz do not participate in King Kai’s training. Nappa refuses because he can’t stand the idea of training with Yamcha. Raditz simply doesn’t believe he deserves it. Yamcha tries hard to get Raditz to join in, but Raditz just can’t. So he stays in the house and cooks and cleans to earn his keep, playing housemaid to show his appreciation for King Kai’s hospitality. Nappa laughs at him, telling him he must have lost all of his Saiyan pride to be doing chores for some petty deity and a pathetic earthling. 

“You should train with me.” Yamcha says for the millionth time, ignoring Raditz's warning glance. “It would be fun. And I don’t buy this bullshit that you don’t think you deserve it. That’s some lame-ass cop out, and you know it.” Raditz looks at him for a long time, watching him shove dumplings in his mouth and swallow them without chewing. 

“If I tell you this and you breathe a word of it to anyone, I will kill you. Do you understand?” He says after a moment. Yamcha stops eating and stares back at him, eyes wide. 

“Sure, I understand.” He says, looking more curious than intimidated. 

“I’m sick of fighting. I’m sick of training. To be frank, I’m sick of existing.” Raditz says quietly, looking down at his hands. “It’s all I’ve done since I was four years old. Training and fighting and killing, both in self defense and flat out murder, as far back as I can remember. It’s all my father did. It’s all my people did. And I fucking hate it.”

“Damn.” Yamcha says after a long time. “You can’t be that much younger than me.”

“I’m 30.” Raditz huffs. 

“Well, shit, you’re actually a year fuckin _older_ than me.” Yamcha says with a nervous laugh. “Well, why not just train so that you can help us protect earth? You don't have to fight all the time just because you’ve trained.”

“I’m _tired_ , Yamcha. I’m so fucking _tired_.” Raditz says, scrubbing his face with his hands. His tail lashes, betraying his anger, and Yamcha looks at him with such pity on his face that Raditz wants to fucking hit him. “My mother always said that I was meant to fight at my prince’s side. My father said that I was destined to be a great warrior. But I never wanted to fight. I wanted to stay with them in our home and play with my baby brother. And when I got older, I just wanted to flirt with girls and have fun.”

“You know, before I met Goku, that’s all I wanted to do too. Except I couldn’t talk to girls. Too nervous. I was gonna use the dragon balls to wish for a girlfriend.” Yamcha laughs, shaking his head. “Bulma helped me get over that, actually, so I didn’t need to wish for it. Anyway, I started martial arts training and I really liked it a lot, until I actually had to fight someone for real, not just sparring. And that’s when I realized I fucking hated fighting other people. Reminded me too much of when I was bad and used my strength to take advantage of people. So I retired and started playing baseball.” Yamcha looks at Raditz thoughtfully for a moment, then sighs and rubs the back of his neck. “All of this to say, I get it. I get being tired of fighting. Of surviving even. But when you showed up on earth, I realized that I needed to get stronger just in case I needed to fight. The goal of training isn’t to fight. It’s to win if I have no choice but to fight. Maybe I’m not as strong as you or Goku or Piccolo, but I have to at least try. And I think you do too.”

“I recognize your attempt to understand me, and I appreciate it.” Raditz says carefully, trying not to be angry. “But you do not understand what I am saying at all. I was not a bandit who robbed others to survive. I destroyed entire planets. I eradicated their populations wholesale. And for a very long time, I had managed to convince myself that I enjoyed it.” His voice shakes and he looks away, clenching his hands into fists. “I have nightmares every night of the atrocities I committed. I dream of my father and of how disappointed in me he would be if he could see me now, killing for fun instead of because it was necessary. How horrified my mother would be if she knew I was little more than a murderer who had laughed as he tortured his victims to death. I can’t get the look of disgust on my little brother’s face out of my fucking head. Did you know he looks just like our father? His disgust is my father’s disgust. My father, who I admired above even my king, above even my prince, who’s pride to call me his son is all I ever wanted, staring at me through Kakarot’s eyes with fear and rage and repulsion.” He takes a deep breath and meets Yamcha’s eyes. “I am a monster. A murderer. And I don’t know how to be anything else. So no, I do not want to train with you. I do not want to train to protect your planet. I just want to disappear.”

Yamcha is quiet for a long time, and Raditz is relieved he has decided to drop it. Then his hand reaches forward, grabbing Raditz’s wrist, and when Raditz looks at him, there is an expression of such sadness in Yamcha’s eyes that Raditz can’t help but look away again. 

“I don’t want you to disappear.” Yamcha says softly, squeezing his wrist. “And I don’t think you’re a monster.”

“You know nothing.” Raditz huffs. 

“Maybe not.” Yamcha says with a chuckle. “But I know you’ve been really patient with me. You’ve even been nice, which I didn’t expect. You’ve put up with all my stupid questions, you carried me the rest of the way here, and you saved my life. You had no reason to do any of that, but you did it anyway. And the way you talk about your family, it reminds me of Goku so damn much.” He laughs and lets go of Raditz’s wrist, shaking his head. “I didn’t believe you actually were his brother until I heard you talking about your family the first time.”

“When they died, it didn’t seem real.” Raditz admits sadly, looking back down at his hands. “And Saiyans do not show their emotions. To do so is to show weakness. So when it finally did become real, I could not grieve for them.” He sighs, scrubbing his face with his hands again. “My mother told me to find Kakarot when I could. To go to earth and make sure he was safe, and I promised her I would. It was the last thing I ever said to her. ‘Of course, mama. I’ll find Kaka when I can.’ Then we got word that Planet Vegeta had been destroyed, and that didn’t mean anything. I just thought of how lucky I was that Vegeta had decided to ignore the order to gather. It didn’t matter until we were slated to return to base, and suddenly I was so excited to go home. Except there was no home to go to. No mama. No father. No Kaka. Just me, Vegeta, and Nappa.”

“That’s awful.” Yamcha says, like he’s not sure what to say at all. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. You did not destroy my home, did you?” Raditz snaps, but there’s no real fire in it. Yamcha smiles sadly. 

“No. But it hurts you, and I’m sorry that you’re hurting.” He says softly. Raditz just rolls his eyes. 

—

King Kai only has one small, unfurnished guest bedroom, so the three of them share the floor. Raditz and Nappa are well accustomed to barracks style arrangements, but Yamcha just seems uncomfortable about the whole situation. He’d refused to sleep anywhere near Nappa, so Raditz had placed himself between them, sleeping flat on his back so that he can keep an ear on them both. 

On the fourth day they are there, Raditz has a nightmare that wakes him up, gasping and sobbing, unable to breathe as his heart tries to kick its way out of his throat. He sits bolt upright, staring around the tiny, unfurnished guest bedroom they all share with wild eyes, trying to find the enemy in the darkness before he has a chance to go after them again. 

“Hey, are you okay?” A voice Raditz doesn’t recognize asks softly, and Raditz immediately starts channeling his energy into his hand, deep violet lighting up the room and casting terrifying shadows onto the walls. “Whoa, it’s me! It’s Yamcha! Raditz, calm down, it’s just me!” The voice says, a hand grasping his left wrist gently. Raditz begins to pull away, feeling trapped, and wrenches his arm back. 

“Release me.” He snarls when the hand doesn’t let him go. 

“Raditz, it’s Yamcha! You’re okay! Everything’s okay!” The voice screams, and the light from Raditz’s ki ball finally reaches Yamcha’s terrified face. His ki dies in his hand when he recognizes him, all of his energy draining out of him as fear gives way to relief, which then gives way to embarrassment. 

“Yamcha.” He breathes, slumping and putting his head in his hands. “I’m sorry, Yamcha.”

“It’s okay.” Yamcha says softly, his voice shaking. His free hand reaches up to grab Raditz’s right wrist, holding both his arms in a loose grip meant to comfort rather than restrain. “Are you okay? Did you have a nightmare?” He asks. Raditz drops his hands into his lap, staring down at them. Yamcha’s hands are small, much smaller than his own, and his fingers can’t even close around the thick columns of Raditz’s wrists. 

“Yes.” He whispers, not sure he can trust his voice. 

“Wanna talk about it?” Yamcha presses. 

“No.” He says firmly, closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing. 

“Okay. Fair enough.” Yamcha laughs breathlessly, and scoots closer so that they are sitting cross-legged in front of each other, knees touching. “What can I do?” He asks after a moment. 

“Nothing.” Raditz says, eyes still closed. He takes a deep breath and knows he’s going to cry just seconds before he does, tears beginning to slip down his cheeks. 

“Oh shit.” Yamcha sighs, and suddenly there are hands on Raditz’s face, calloused palms cupping his cheeks, fingers curling over his jaw. Raditz grabs Yamcha’s wrists and holds them, his fingers loose rings around them, vaguely surprised at how delicate they seem compared to his own. “Hey, you’re okay.” Yamcha whispers, stroking his cheeks with his thumbs, and Raditz is suddenly overwhelmed by his emotions. No one has comforted him since he was a little boy, and Yamcha’s hands are cool and grounding against his skin, bringing him completely out of his nightmare and fully into the present. 

Raditz lets out a choked sob and shudders, moving one hand to cover Yamcha’s where it rests on his cheek and turning his face into his palm. Yamcha seems to hesitate for a moment, then his other hand slides up into Raditz’s hair, his calloused fingertips scratching lightly against his scalp. Raditz takes a deep breath, his senses flooding with Yamcha’s smokey, earthy scent, then lets it out with a huff. The contact feels good, and Raditz feels himself beginning to relax, all the tension draining from taut and aching muscles as Yamcha leans forward and presses his forehead to Raditz’s. He leans into Yamcha’s touch, sighing as Yamcha’s fingers pull gently through his hair. 

“That’s better, huh?” Yamcha murmurs, his voice low and deep, and Raditz nods weakly, moving his hand from Yamcha’s wrist to curl against his neck, his thumb stroking Yamcha’s jaw. 

“Thank you.” Raditz whispers, hating how weak he sounds, how weak he must seem to Yamcha right now. 

“S’alright.” Yamcha murmurs, a smile in his voice. “I’m here as long as you need me to be, okay? Anytime you feel like this, I’ll be here, and I won’t say anything. I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably a little ooc but eh. I was going to have them hook up in this chapter originally, but I didn’t like how it fit. I still have the deleted scene and can post it if anyone’s interested.
> 
> Also, King Kai’s planet works a little differently. First, the Ginyu Force isn’t going to be making an appearance. I sorta forgot they were on King Kai’s planet, and they really wouldn’t have fit anyway, so yeah. Second, another member of the Z fighters that doesn’t go to King Kai’s planet in the series ends up there. Like I said, this is super AU lol


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New friends, old wounds, and King Kai’s sick of Raditz’s moping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys, I can’t even express how grateful I am for all the kind words of encouragement. This fic is so different from anything I’ve ever written before, and I was so hesitant to post it at all. I’m so happy y’all are enjoying it so much!
> 
> I posted the deleted scene I mentioned in the last chapter [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26050555). I hope y’all like it!

A bald man with three eyes arrives several days later, absolute rage on his face when he sees the Saiyans, and Raditz knows what’s going to happen. He can feel the man’s ki flare, the electricity in the air making the fur on his tail stand up, and he’s charging his own energy before he can check his own temper. Nearby, he can feel Nappa doing the same, his power eclipsing both Raditz’s and the newcomer’s almost immediately. 

“Tien, wait!” Yamcha’s voice rings out suddenly, and then he’s standing there between them. “It’s fine. Everything’s fine.”

“What the fuck are they doing here?” Tien snarls, eyes shifting between Raditz and Nappa. 

“They...uh. Well, they came with me.” Yamcha laughs nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“What?”

“Well, I made the mistake of stopping at that castle on the way here and nearly got eaten by a giant snake. They saved me.” Yamcha glances back at Raditz. “I guess you could say we’re friends.”

“Friends? You know they only saved you to get out of here, right? And how did they even get out of hell?” Tien asks, caught somewhere between angry and confused. 

“That’s easy, we blasted our way out.” Nappa huffs. Raditz shoots him a warning look. 

“Look, I’ve been with them for a while now, and they’re really not so bad. And the way they argued when Raditz grabbed me literally out the jaws of death, I really don’t think it was planned.” Yamcha laughs again. “Just give ‘em a chance, man. Please?” He glances back at Raditz again, an expectant look on his face, and Raditz sighs and reins in his ki. 

“Tch. Whatever.” Nappa snorts, doing the same. 

Then, after several tense moments, Tien finally relaxes and crosses his arms over his chest. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever understand you, Yamcha.” He says wryly, then moves to clasp his hand. “But it is good to see you.”

“Yeah, same. Sucks it had to be in these circumstances, though.” Yamcha says cheerfully. 

“You can blame them for that.” Tien growls. 

“Like I said, they’re not that bad.” Yamcha shrugs. “You never met Raditz, did you?” Tien stares. 

“No.” He says after a moment. “I wasn’t at Kame House when he kidnapped Gohan.”

“Okay. Well, this is Raditz. Raditz, this is my friend Tien. He used to be kind of a bad guy, too.” Yamcha says, physically pushing Tien toward Raditz. 

“I never killed anyone.” Tien hisses, glaring at Raditz. Raditz wrinkles his nose. 

“Technically, he didn’t either. Not on earth, anyway.” Yamcha points out. “That was all Nappa.”

“I’m not sorry about it either.” Nappa calls, grinning when Raditz and Yamcha both glare at him. 

“There’s food in the house.” Raditz says with a sigh, turning back to look at Tien. He straightens to his full height, crossing his arms over his chest, and he does not miss the nervous step backwards that Tien takes. “You’re welcome.”

“You two are gonna have to play nice.” Yamcha sighs. Raditz looks at him for a long time, a pang of anxiety churning in his guts for whatever reason, then snorts and steps toward Tien. He holds a hand out like Yamcha had, not really expecting the earthling to clasp it. 

Tien stares at his hand for almost a full minute as though in disbelief. Then, to Raditz’s complete surprise, and Yamcha’s too, if his face is any indication, Tien clasps Raditz’s hand firmly and shakes it. 

“Fine.” Tien says gruffly. “But only because I trust _you_ , Yamcha. God knows why.”

“Great! See? Friends!” Yamcha says, his hands on his hips and a big, stupid grin on his face. 

—

_They have three hours left to crush the resistance on this planet, and maybe they could have made that deadline if that fucker hadn’t slashed Raditz’s arm open right to the bone. It was his fault. He hadn’t been paying attention. Too busy stomping a native soldier into the mud, laughing as the asshole drowned in all the shit and blood spilling over his mouth and nose, scrabbling at Raditz’s boot as he put his whole weight on the soldier’s chest._

_“Poor thing!” Raditz cooed, almost wishing the bastard could hear him. “Should have just surrendered. Your death would have been instant and painless.”_

_“You fucking monster!” Someone screamed, and then Raditz felt something metal scraping against the bone in his upper left arm. The muscles and tendons in his bicep came apart, his arm dropping uselessly at his side, and Raditz was surprised that he didn’t feel any pain at first. He turned and blasted his assailant to dust, then felt all his energy drain out of him at once. There was still no pain as the planet pitched, making him stumble sideways, tripping over his own dead feet and falling to his knees._

_“Raditz!” Vegeta screamed from somewhere very far away._

_No way they’d make the deadline, now. Frieza would be angry. Raditz wished, not for the first time, that the lizard would just kill him for his fuck ups instead of punishing them all._

—

Raditz doesn’t know where he is when he jolts awake, sitting bolt upright and breathing so hard he feels like he might pass out. There’s static in his brain and none of what he’s seeing makes any sense at all. There’s a little house where their ships had been, a car instead of a pile of bodies, soft grass beneath him instead of blood and shit and mud. 

Fuck, his arm! He needed to get to his attack ball quick, had to— had to—

He looks at his arm, at the long scar across his bicep just beneath the band he wears to stabilize the tendons. He puts his right hand over it, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. 

King Kai’s planet. He’s on King Kai’s planet. It had just been a dream. 

“Are you okay?” A small voice asks softly. Raditz opens his eyes and is surprised to see Yamcha standing there, looking like he’s afraid Raditz is going to lash out. 

“Yeah. Just a nightmare.” He admits with a sigh. 

“What are you doing out here?” Yamcha asks, relaxing a bit, then points at the ground. “Mind if I sit down?” Raditz gestures vaguely and waits for Yamcha to plop down in the grass next to him. 

“It got too hot in there. Too many bodies.” Raditz says, staring straight ahead. “What are you doing?”

“Felt your ki surge. Figured I’d better come see what was going on.” Yamcha replies with a shrug. 

“Sorry I woke you.”

“Nah, s’alright.” He shrugs again, then leans over and pushes Raditz with his shoulder. “Told you I’m here to talk if you need to, remember? That means you can wake me up, too.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Raditz asks point blank. It’s something he’s been wondering since that first night he’d accidentally woken Yamcha with his nightmares. He’s still staring ahead, and he feels Yamcha turn and look at him, mouth hanging open. “And don’t give me that, ‘you saved my life’ bullshit.”

Yamcha is silent for a long time, just watching Raditz and fidgeting. Then he sighs and looks down at his hands. 

“Cuz I see how sad you are.” He says plainly, and Raditz turns to look at him, astonished. “And I know if your brother were here, and he knew the things you’d been through, he’d want to try to make you feel better. So I guess his stupid sentiment and good nature really has rubbed off on me, because I just want to try to make you feel better too.” He looks up at Raditz, laughing quietly at the shocked look on his face. 

“You earthlings are so fucking strange.” Raditz snorts, embarrassed. He crosses his arms over his chest and looks away again, suddenly wishing Yamcha would just go away. There’s too much buzzing around in his head without having to decipher earthling behavior. 

“Okay, I’ll shut up now.” Yamcha chuckles. He gets up then and goes back into the house, and Raditz can’t help but feel a little disappointed, even if he had just gotten what he’d wished for. He flops backward again and closes his eyes, hoping his mind will just let him sleep, though he knows it won’t. “Hey, lift your head.” Yamcha says above him. Raditz opens his eyes and stares. “Got your pillow. And mine. You’re right, it’s too hot in there.” 

Raditz does as he’s told, more out of complete bafflement than actual obedience, and watches as Yamcha lays down next to him and makes himself comfortable. 

“I do not understand you or your kind.” Raditz snorts at last, turning his back on the earthling and wrapping his tail tightly around his waist. 

“That’s alright.” Yamcha says softly, and Raditz can hear that shit-eating grin in his voice. “Sweet dreams, Raditz.”

—

Some strange pale creature with red cheeks and giant eyes shows up the next day, and the process starts over again. Once the tension is out of the way, Chiaotzu, the strange newcomer, explains that he and Tien had decided to race to King Kai’s planet, and he had lost. Later in the day, the Namekian, Piccolo, arrives and Raditz cannot bring himself to put out his hand to this newcomer like he had the previous two. They settle for a tense nod of acknowledgement and staying as far away from each other as the tiny planet will allow. 

That night, there was laughing and celebrating, to which Raditz and Nappa were invited, but were clearly not welcome. It was expected and understandable, and Raditz was more than happy to stay in the kitchen with King Kai, cooking and cleaning for the revelers. Nappa decided to sleep instead, choosing the couch in King Kai’s small living room over the small guest bedroom that they were all expected to share. 

“You know, Raditz, I didn’t expect you to be such a hard worker.” King Kai says as the party dies down, watching Piccolo move through the house and toward the guest room, stiff-legged and wary as he passes. 

“I’ve only known work.” Raditz replies with a disgruntled huff, handing over a plate to be dried and put away. “And there is nothing else to do.”

“You could have joined in the party.”

“No, thanks.”

“You could train.”

Raditz sighs, places his wet hands on the counter, and leans forward, suddenly tired. 

“For what? I have no reason to fight, nor do I want one. I’ve fought my whole life, and I’m tired.” He says softly, looking down at King Kai. 

“So what’s your plan? You just gonna stay here and do my chores for the rest of eternity?” King Kai asks, putting his hands behind his back and turning to face Raditz fully. 

“No.” Raditz says, looking away. “I’m going to wait until Yamcha gets wished back, and then I’m going back to Hell.”

“Why? I’ll let you stay if you want.” King Kai replies, shrugging when Raditz looks at him again. “Bubbles and Gregory normally do the chores and they’re shit at it because they’re animals. This is the cleanest my house has been probably since it was built at the dawn of time.” Raditz snorts and goes back to washing dishes, and King Kai watches him for a long time. “And what about Nappa? I can tell you now, he ain’t gonna go back to Hell.”

“Nappa is none of my concern. He can do as he likes.”

“Why do you want to go back to Hell, anyway? Seems like a pretty shitty place to be if you ask me.”

“I deserve it.” 

“That’s bullshit.”

“It’s the truth.”

King Kai slaps him over the head then, staring at him angrily from behind his sunglasses. 

“The hell was that for? And how did you reach—“ Raditz growls, cut off by another cuff to the back of his head. “Ow!”

“Enough of the whiny self loathing bullshit.” King Kai snaps, sounding truly angry for the first time since they’d all arrived. “I’ve met a few Saiyans at this point, and not one of them has ever talked like you are now. You sound like you’ve given up.”

“So they say.” Raditz huffs, side stepping King Kai’s next strike. 

“Your brother wouldn’t give up.”

“I’m not my brother.” Raditz growls. 

“I’ll train you if you want, you know. You keep saying you’re not worthy, but I never said that, and I’m kinda the judge on that here.” King Kai says with a derisive sniff. “And anyway, I don’t think you have a choice on whether or not you get to give up. I think that young man with the scars on his face is planning on wishing you back with the dragon balls. And what will you do then? Just mope around on earth?” 

“He’s not gonna wish me back.” Raditz replies. The idea is almost laughable. 

“I guess we’ll see, huh?” King Kai says, laughing when Raditz dodges another slap.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little more of Raditz’s armor falls away.

_“You have to keep your shoulders straight and back, my son. When you hunch like that, you’re putting your weight too far forward.”_

_“Yes, father.” Raditz says, mirroring Bardock’s own stance._

_“Very good. Stay on the balls of your feet, knees bent, hips loose. You want to be light and fast without sacrificing stability.” Bardock continues. “Your feet and legs are just as important as your shoulders and arms. When you strike, you should be using your whole body, starting at your feet, and opening up like a spring. Quick and powerful movements, snapping back to your basic stance and thus back to total balance. You are most vulnerable when you are attacking, so move back to the start as quick as you can. Arms up, shoulders back, weight over your hips, and stay loose. Got it?”_

_“Yes, father.”_

_“Show me.”_

—

He wakes up in tears. He always does when he dreams about his father. He sits up, gasping and sobbing, and swipes at his face desperately. 

Can’t cry. Vegeta and Nappa will see. 

“You’re a Saiyan warrior, Raditz. Fucking act like it.” He growls to himself. 

“Must suck being so stoic all the time, huh.” Yamcha says suddenly. Raditz looks at him, surprised. “Nightmare?”

“Leave me alone.” Raditz snaps, scrubbing at his eyes. He jumps when a hand comes down on his shoulder, squeezing gently. 

“Nah.” He says with a chuckle. “You should know by now that I’m not gonna do that.” Raditz huffs and Yamcha chuckles again. “Wanna talk about it?”

“No.”

“Might make you feel better.”

“I said no.”

“Okay, I hear ya.” Yamcha sighs, but his hand is still on Raditz’s shoulder and he doesn’t have the energy to shrug it off. 

“It was about my father. When he taught me to fight before I went into training.” Raditz says after a while, inexplicably compelled to fill the silence between them. 

“Was it a happy dream, then?” Yamcha asks quietly. Raditz shrugs. 

“In a way, I suppose.” He says. A beat of silence passes, and again he is compelled to fill it. “I was three years old. It was something of a late start, but my mother was protective of me. Saiyan fathers are not known for being gentle, and she was worried he would hurt me.” He laughs softly, glancing at Yamcha. “She was wrong though. I ended up breaking father’s arm and cutting his face so deeply that he needed stitches. Even left a scar. I had never seen him so proud.”

“Wow, and at three years old. You must have been crazy strong.” Yamcha comments, smiling when Raditz looks at him. 

“I was born with a high enough power level to be considered a mid class warrior. Most Saiyans are low class, like my brother, and like our mother.” Raditz explains, turning slightly to face Yamcha. “Saiyans value power above all else, but my parents were different. I never felt like my worth was measured by my power until I started training in the Saiyan Army.”

“They sound like they were good people.” Yamcha murmurs, as though he is unsure of what else to say. 

“For their kind, I suppose they were.” Raditz replies. 

“Can you show me what he taught you?” Yamcha asks suddenly. Raditz stares at him, confused. 

“What?”

“When your dad was teaching you to fight. What did he teach you?” He reiterates, then chuckles at Raditz’s frown. “Might feel good to pass on what you know. Make you feel closer to your dad.” Raditz stares at him for a long time, then lets loose a long, suffering sigh. He stands, wrapping his tail around his waist, and motions for Yamcha to stand as well. 

“Fine, but no crying if I hurt you.” He huffs, spreading his feet and dropping his weight over his hips. 

“Gotcha.” Yamcha says with a brilliant smile, standing and getting into his own stance. 

—

They spar for hours, and Yamcha loses every time, but he never once stops grinning. At some point, for Raditz at least, it becomes less about winning and more about getting Yamcha to stop losing. 

“You keep fighting like that and you’re gonna get killed again.” Raditz growls after about the 100th time the earthling loses. “You have good movement and instinct, but your defense is absolute shit. You try to depend on brute strength that you don’t have, and you leave yourself wide open for literally anyone to dart in and go for your throat.” He straightens and moves to stand directly in front of Yamcha, grabbing his arms and pulling them up over his face. “Elbows in, head and shoulders tight, stay on your toes and move from your waist. Don’t just take hits because you think you can.”

“Like this?” Yamcha asks, doing as he’s told. 

“Yes. You’re lean, so speed should be your biggest asset, not force. Dodge and block until you have an opening, then move in, strike fast, and move back out. Got it?” Raditz instructs, stepping back and getting into position again. 

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Don’t just think so. Know so.”

By the time the sky begins to brighten and the house begins waking up, Yamcha is actually coming close to winning. It has become less an issue of technique and more one of power balance, and Raditz is strangely proud of Yamcha’s progress. 

“Thanks for helping me out.” Yamcha says breathlessly when Raditz finally says they’re done. “You’re a really good teacher.” Raditz snorts. 

“And you’re an ass-kisser.” He huffs, waving away the compliment. 

“Can we do this again?” Yamcha asks sheepishly, looking down at his feet. “King Kai’s only teaching us to use our ki effectively and that’s great, but I’m super out of practice physically too.”

“Fine.” Raditz says gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest. “You earthlings have terribly sloppy technique anyway, if you and my brother are to be considered examples. I am glad the Namekian chose to train my nephew. He has the best technique of all of you by far.”

“You know, I feel like I should be offended by that, but you’re probably right.” Yamcha laughs, reaching out to shove Raditz’s shoulder playfully. 

“I know I’m right. That was the first hit you landed all night.” Raditz says, chuckling softly. 

“Oh, now he’s a comedian!” Yamcha howls, throwing his head back and laughing with his whole body, sweeping Raditz up in it despite himself. 

—

They spar at night, when no one else is awake to watch. Raditz teaches Yamcha everything he knows, from the science of balance and speed to the art of killing in as few movements as possible. Yamcha is completely astonished by the latter, backing away after the ninth time Raditz lands what would be a death blow were he serious, his hand slotting around the earthling’s throat and squeezing gently. 

“You weren’t kidding when you said you could have killed everyone at Kame House without trying, were you?” Yamcha says, eyes wide, his hands coming up to grab Raditz’s wrist. 

“No.” Raditz replies, dropping his hand and stepping back. “I’ll show you another one.”

“I dunno, I’m feeling kinda insecure about my own mortality at this point.” Yamcha chuckles nervously. 

“I’m not showing you this to scare you. I’m teaching you so that you may learn to use them, should the need arise.” Raditz replies, holding up a hand when Yamcha’s mouth opens to argue. “I understand your kind values fairness and discourages killing your opponents, but sometimes you will not have a choice. Some opponents will not stop until one of you is dead, and you cannot be the loser in such a scenario.”

“I know, I just don’t know if I’m strong enough to actually use any of these.”

“Of course you are. I learned and used these when I was a child. You are more than capable of utilizing any of these moves.” Raditz huffs, shaking his head. “Now get into position. I’ll show you one more for now.” Yamcha sighs and does as he’s told. “This one is quick and powerful, and your opponent will be dead before he even has a chance to fight back.” He dances from foot to foot, loosening up, and Yamcha’s eyes follow him carefully. Then, too fast for Yamcha to track, he feints right before lunging left and inside Yamcha’s block, catching him off balance and driving his hand upward into Yamcha’s solar plexus, hard enough to make him wince, and grins down at him. “Keep your arm tight to your body, brace your elbow, and use your legs to push your hand under the rib cage and into the chest cavity. Most aliens have a similar anatomy to what you are used to, and the heart will typically be located in the center of the chest, about here.” He taps high on Yamcha’s sternum with his free hand. “You are far stronger than most humans, and can easily exert enough pressure to break through the skin and viscera of most soft-bodied creatures to reach it. Then it’s just as simple as getting your hand around the heart to crush it.” He removes his fingers from under Yamcha’s rib cage and runs his arm up Yamcha’s chest, as though he were seeking his heart, and clenches his hand into a fist. 

“Fuck.” Yamcha breathes, staring at Raditz. He can feel Yamcha’s heart thud in his chest, beneath Raditz’s arm. One hand comes up to grip Raditz’s wrist again, but he doesn’t pull it away. Instead, he almost seems to hold Raditz’s arm to his chest. 

“You okay?” Raditz prompts, starting to feel a little trapped. It’s absurd, it wouldn’t take any effort at all to wrench his arm free, but Yamcha is _staring_ at him like he wants something and his hand is squeezing hard enough to contract the tendons in Raditz’s wrist, making his fingers curl. “Yamcha.” He says when the earthling doesn’t respond, his feet rooted to the spot, unable to move despite his own superior strength. Yamcha seems to come back to himself then, shaking his head and releasing Raditz’s wrist. 

“Sorry. Spaced out a bit.” He laughs nervously, but it doesn’t seem to reach his eyes at all.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raditz is dramatic as fuck and Yamcha has an interesting way of dealing with it

_“It’s bad enough that Raditz has been drafted into the Frieza Force, Bardock. We can’t let it happen to Kakarot too.” Mama says quietly, and Raditz knows he’s not supposed to be hearing this, but he can’t bring himself to leave._

_“I know, Gine. Dammit, I know. But what are we supposed to do? I’m sure he’s about to make his move, and soon, but if we take the children and run now, Frieza will find us and kill us all. Prince Vegeta has been assigned to Raditz’s squad. All eyes are on him and his squad mates now. If Raditz doesn’t muster, Frieza will be informed immediately.” Father replies, sounding panicked for the first time in Raditz’s life. “We won’t make it off the planet alive if we all go. It’ll have to be you and Kakarot.”_

_“I’m not leaving you.”_

_“We can’t just send him alone. He needs his mother.”_

_“Bardock.”_

_“No.”_

_“They’ll notice if I don’t show up at the meat packer, Bardock.”_

_“So what? We send him alone?”_

_“I don’t see any other choice.”_

_Raditz doesn’t understand any of this. He doesn’t understand why they’re talking about sending his little brother away. He wants to show himself, to run out and tell them they can’t send Kakarot away, but he knows he’ll get in trouble if they catch him eavesdropping._

_“We could send him as an infiltration baby to a low level planet. And if you’re wrong, then we can go get him.” Mama takes a deep breath and swipes at her eyes, her tail twisting anxiously. “And we’ll tell Raditz too. That way, if you’re right…”_

_“He can go get his little brother.” Father finishes for her, reaching out and grabbing her arms. “I wish things were different, my love. You know I do.”_

_“I know.” Mama sniffs, closing the distance between them and hugging father fiercely. “I do too.”_

—

Gods, how could he have forgotten? His mother’s face when she had embraced father. The panic in his father’s voice. The fear that had set so heavy in the room that Raditz could feel it closing his own throat. 

Gine had radioed Raditz when he was out on his mission. She’d told him that they were sending Kakarot to earth as an infiltration baby. She’d begged him to find Kakarot, and he hadn’t understood why because he had _forgotten_. He’d convinced himself that the conversation he’d overheard had been a dream or a misunderstanding, and he’d clung to the infiltration story like his life had depended on it. 

Because it had. 

Gods, how could he have reconciled his parents accepting their fate? Accepting his fate? Accepting Kakarot’s fate? How can he reconcile it now? Why hadn’t they just _told_ him? He could have escaped and come to Kakarot so much sooner if he had _known_. He would have taken an attack ball and disappeared. He wouldn’t have stayed in Nappa’s squad. He wouldn’t have been so _alone_.

“Fuck.” Raditz snarls, swiping fiercely at his eyes. “I’m sorry, Kakarot. I’m so fucking sorry.” And he is. He _is_. 

Fuck.

FUCK. 

He shoots to his feet, screaming, throwing out his hands. His ki arcs wildly from his palms, discharging his rage and pain and grief into a devastating beam that carves into the planet and rips through the clouds, exploding when it hits the edge of the atmosphere. The shockwave blasts all the windows out of the house and car, blows all the leaves off the trees, and everyone in the house starts running out, screaming at him, making him feel trapped. His tail lashes, teeth bared, his power expanding out of control and he can feel himself losing his mind. The animal in him fights to take over, to turn him into the force of destruction Saiyans are so feared for, and he knows he needs to stop but he can’t. 

Gods, his _whole life_ spent toiling for a cruel master, believing he’d had no way out, suffering at the hands of his own people almost as much as he had at Frieza’s because otherwise he would have been all alone. His baby brother alone and so weak on a planet so many star systems away. His mother begging him to take care of Kakarot because they needed each other, because she and father were dead and gone, just like all the other Saiyans, and his rage and grief surges through him, eclipsing all rational thought and control. 

“Raditz, stop!” Yamcha screams suddenly, his voice cutting through the noise, pure and clear and fucking terrified. He hesitates, standing nearby, fidgeting and making Raditz feel somehow worse. Then a hand is on Raditz’s arm, squeezing hard, trying to force him out of his fugue. “Raditz, please! Look at me!” 

Raditz shakes his head, trying to wrench his arm free, fury bolting through him like lightning when the bastard doesn’t let him go. 

“Release me.” He snarls, and it’s the beast inside him who speaks, its voice ripping through his body, savage and brutal and horrifying to his own ears. 

“Just look at me, you fucking asshole!” Yamcha snaps. Then there is a hand on his face, pulling his chin, forcing him to meet Yamcha’s eyes. 

“Release. Me.” Raditz snarls again, snapping his teeth together. Yamcha’s face is obscured by red fog, and he’s charging his ki again before he can stop himself. 

Then Yamcha’s fingers are digging into his cheeks, his free hand catching the collar of Raditz’s armor and dragging him down, and Raditz doesn’t realize what is happening until Yamcha’s mouth is on his. He crowds against Raditz, the hand on his chin sliding up to his cheek and then into his hair, the hand on his collar moving to his neck, fingers pressing against his skin, holding him in place, his thumb stroking Raditz’s jaw. 

Raditz freezes, eyes going wide, brain short circuiting as he tries to process exactly what is happening. Yamcha is still for a long time, his lips pressed to Raditz’s, and Raditz can’t seem to make his body move. The hand in his hair curls, pulling gently, and Yamcha opens his mouth and kisses him again, his body arching and colliding gently with Raditz’s. He seems to savor the kiss for a moment before pulling away, gasping, eyes wide and astonished as though he’s surprised by what he’d done as well. 

“I’m sorry.” Yamcha whispers at last. His hands are still on Raditz’s neck and in his hair, and Raditz’s brain keeps misfiring, completely unable to comprehend what has just happened. One moment he was spiraling out of control, his power taking over his mind and turning him into an animal, the next Yamcha is kissing him and his power is gone in a single breath, lost in his astonishment and in Yamcha’s mouth all at once. “You were going crazy and I didn’t know what else to do. I’m so sorry, please don’t kill me.”

“Kill you?” Raditz echoes, more confused by that than the actual kiss. 

“Yeah, shit, that’s definitely not— I just couldn’t get through to you, and I wanted you to calm down and— dammit, I’m sorry, Raditz, I didn’t mean—“

“Just shut up for a second, Yamcha.” Raditz huffs, closing his eyes, trying to get his thoughts in order. Static is still roaring in his head, anger and confusion and grief still spinning, threatening to overwhelm him. His hands come up, gripping Yamcha’s wrists, and somehow that is grounding. The world finally stops pitching and Raditz collapses with the relief of it, going to his knees and sagging into Yamcha’s hands. Yamcha kneels in front of him, his arms wrapping around Raditz’s neck, pulling Raditz’s face into his shoulder and holding him as he begins to shake, his own hands clutching Yamcha’s gi as he clings to the earthling like a child. 

“It’s okay. You’re okay.” Yamcha breathes, holding him so tightly. 

And he wants to tell Yamcha that it’s not okay. _He_ is not okay. But he’s shaking so hard and he doesn’t trust his voice to speak. So he just stays silent, letting himself be held, fighting back tears when Yamcha begins to pet his hair. 

—

The Namekian is watching him. 

He hasn’t stopped watching since Raditz’s meltdown, and Raditz is getting sick of it. It’s bad enough having to share this tiny fucking planet with the man who had killed him, but now that man is watching him like he’s prey, and Raditz is getting ready to put an end to it. 

“Just ignore him.” Yamcha says when Raditz mentions it, not looking up from his food. They’re sitting beneath one of the now foliage free trees, eating the lunch King Kai had prepared for them. 

“He’s pissing me off.” Raditz huffs. Yamcha glances at him. 

“It’s fine. He’s not gonna do anything.” He replies, rolling his eyes when Raditz glares at him. “Look, I talked to him. He knows you didn’t mean to lose control like that. He acts all tough and shit, but he’s just a big fuckin’ worry wart. He ain’t gonna bother you.”

“Makes my skin crawl.”

“And you say I complain a lot.” Yamcha snorts, laughing when Raditz lightly punches his arm. 

“We never talked about what happened that day.” Raditz says after a beat of silence, looking back down at his food. It had been almost a week, and while they had talked about the incident itself, they had just pretended the kiss hadn’t happened. But Raditz hadn’t stopped thinking about it. Every time he looks at Yamcha, his first thought is of Yamcha’s soft lips on his, his calloused hands in Raditz’s hair and on his neck. 

Yamcha doesn’t say anything, and when Raditz looks at him again, he is studying his plate intently, his face so red it looks like his head might explode. 

“I’m not gonna fucking kill you, Yamcha, calm down.” Raditz huffs, chuckling softly. 

“I just—“ Yamcha starts, looking at him with a deep frown creasing his face. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Just tryin to shock you so you would stop.”

“Mmm.” Raditz hums, not believing him. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. That’s why I haven’t brought it up.” Yamcha says, a warning in his voice, and Raditz decides to drop it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of my favorite chapters to write. I love writing overly dramatic scenes lmao


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things thaw on King Kai’s planet, and Yamcha’s a little jealous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter jumps around a bit. And yes, I know that Krillin doesn’t go to King Kai’s planet, and that he doesn’t even end up in Earth’s Otherworld or whatever. But I wanted Krillin in my story so 🤷🏼♀️

Kakarot is headed to Namek. Apparently, Gohan, the small bald man, and the blue-haired woman were already there, searching for the Namekian Dragon Balls to wish their friends back to life. 

Raditz knows the implications. 

If Vegeta is still alive, which he probably is, then he’ll be looking for the Dragon Balls too. Which means that Frieza is almost certainly there to beat Vegeta to the punch. 

“He cannot fight Frieza.” Raditz tells King Kai when he tells them Kakarot’s plan. “Frieza will kill him. He needs to get his son and his friends, and he needs to leave.”

“He needs to help them get the Dragon Balls.” The Namekian growls, glaring between him and Nappa. “Thanks to you and that big bastard over there.”

“He needs to find another way. Frieza will kill him. If Vegeta couldn’t even defeat him —“

“That’s all you Saiyans talk about. How _great_ Vegeta is, just shut—“

“You don’t understand!” Raditz roars, stepping into his space, glaring at him. “Only the legendary Super Saiyan can defeat Frieza, and that’s just a myth. Vegeta is the strongest Saiyan born in 1,000 years and is the only one who could possibly become the Super Saiyan, but he’s not even close to strong enough. If he can’t defeat that fucking lizard, no one can.” The Namekian stares at him, brow furrowed and eyes angry, but he seems...worried. Raditz turns back to King Kai. “Please. You have to tell him to just get his son and his friends and go. He’ll die if he confronts Frieza.”

“It’s odd that you even care.” Tien says softly, and Raditz grits his teeth, trying to keep his temper in check. 

“Of course I care. Why do you think I went to earth in the first place?” He growls instead, glancing sideways. 

“You tried to kill him yourself.”

“No he didn’t, Tien.” Yamcha murmurs, and Raditz feels his hand on his arm. 

“You weren’t there, Yamcha.” The Namekian snaps. “I _was_ , and Tien is right. He tried to kill Goku.”

“Drop it.” Yamcha warns. 

“You’ve been blinded by whatever bullshit he’s been feeding you.” The Namekian retorts, and Raditz tries to block them out. 

“I’m well aware of Frieza and what kind of power he has.” King Kai says then, looking at Raditz. “I have every intention of contacting Goku and telling him exactly what you said. I can let you talk to him as well, if you’d like.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Raditz murmurs. “I never wanted things to go this way. I was supposed to protect him, and I’ve failed that a thousand times over. If I try to tell him anything he’ll turn a deaf ear to it, and that will only get him killed.”

“I’ll try to get through to him.” King Kai replies, and Raditz knows the implications of that, too. Despite growing up on earth and losing his memory of their home, Kakarot is still a Saiyan. The need to fight is in his blood, just as it is in Raditz’s blood, despite his distaste for it now. He’s going to fight Frieza, whether any of them like it or not, and Raditz is not surprised when Yamcha approaches him later and tells him that King Kai has had no luck convincing Kakarot to stay away. 

“He’s a fool.” Raditz growls, gritting his teeth. 

“Yeah, well. That’s just Goku.” Yamcha says softly, putting a hand on Raditz’s arm. 

—

Kakarot wishes the Namekian back to life, which is wise. Then he wishes the Namekian to Namek, which is recklessly stupid. But they have a plan, and Raditz is not privy to the details, so he has to trust that they know what they’re doing. 

“They’re all gonna fuckin’ die.” Nappa says nonchalantly. 

“Shut up, Nappa.” Raditz murmurs, watching Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu train with King Kai. 

“Don’t know why you care so much.” Nappa snorts, so Raditz tells him. He tells him about the dream, about the promise he’d made to his mother, about what it all meant. To his surprise, Nappa listens closely, his stern features as soft as can be expected, and when Raditz finally stops talking, he nods quietly. “I always thought your parents were odd and that they coddled you and your brother.” He says, holding up a hand when Raditz opens his mouth to protest. “But Bardock was a good fighter, and you remind me of him very much, right down to that grudging softness in you that you’ve always tried so hard to suppress. And if Kakarot is anything like you and your father, if he’s even half as resourceful and determined, then he’ll be just fine.” He chuckles then, shaking his head. “Just hope he doesn’t have that yellow streak that you have.”

“Gee thanks.” Raditz snorts, rolling his eyes. 

—

Frieza is dead and Kakarot is a Super Saiyan. Raditz can’t believe it. He can only imagine what Vegeta’s reaction must have been. A low class warrior, Raditz’s baby brother, had become the legend of their people and had slain the monster who had enslaved them. 

“But it’s very likely that Goku died when Namek exploded.” King Kai says sadly, earning a murmur of sorrow from Yamcha and his friends. Raditz snorts and crosses his arms over his chest. 

“Show some respect.” Tien growls. 

“I certainly would, if he were dead.” Raditz replies with a shrug. They all turn to look at him. “Kakarot is alive.”

“How do you know?” Yamcha asks. Raditz shrugs again. 

“I just do.” He says. “He defeated Frieza, the most fearsome creature in the universe. You really think he would pull off a feat like that just to die in an explosion?”

“He’s right.” Nappa says, grinning when Raditz looks at him. “Kakarot might be dumb as a box of shit, but he’s still a Saiyan. A Super Saiyan, no less. He’s alive.”

“How do you feel about all this?” Yamcha asks Raditz later, sitting down next to him in the grass. Raditz looks at him, studying his face long enough to make Yamcha uncomfortable, then smiles and looks down at his hands. 

“I’ve been trying to figure that out.” He says at last. “I guess I’m proud of him. Proud he’s my brother.”

“He’s pretty amazing.” Yamcha says with a chuckle. Raditz hums. 

“But I’m ashamed too.” He says softly. 

“Why?” Yamcha asks, sounding surprised. 

“A lot of reasons. Some of them you already know.” Raditz shrugs and leans back on his hands, staring up at the sky. “I think I’m going to start training with King Kai.”

“That’s great!” Yamcha exclaims loudly, making Raditz wince. “What changed your mind?”

“My little brother becoming a Super Saiyan.” Raditz replies, looking at him like it should be obvious. “His power level was, like, five when he was born. It was one of the lowest in _history_. The odds were quite literally stacked against Kakarot _ever_ becoming a Super Saiyan. _I_ had a better chance of becoming a Super Saiyan and killing Frieza than he did, and I had _no_ chance.” He laughs at that, shaking his head. “I’ve got to catch up.”

“Well, I’m glad either way.” Yamcha says, shoving Raditz’s shoulder with his own. “So does this mean that you’ve reconsidered being wished back?”

“I don’t know.” Raditz says softly, looking at Yamcha thoughtfully. 

“You should think about it.” Yamcha replies, pressing his shoulder to Raditz’s again. He doesn’t shove this time, instead just lingering there, companionable silence settling over them. 

—

Raditz falls easily into his new routine. He trains with the others during the day, and then trains with Yamcha at night, still teaching the earthling the art of war as the Saiyans had known it. Never one to be outdone, Nappa joins in on King Kai’s training shortly after. Raditz finds Tien to be quite a worthy adversary, more willing to fight dirty than Yamcha, but not downright unfair like Nappa. Tien grudgingly admits that he enjoys sparring with Raditz as well, and Yamcha’s reaction to that is...strange. 

He sidles up to Raditz’s side, standing close, and when Raditz looks down at him, he’s surprised to see a disgruntled scowl on the earthling’s face. 

“What, are you jealous?” Raditz teases, bumping his shoulder, laughing when Yamcha’s face turns bright red. 

“No.” Yamcha snaps, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Don’t worry, I still like sparring with you.” Raditz reassures him, laughing again when Yamcha narrows his eyes at him. 

But when they spar later, Yamcha still seems upset. His hits are harder, his movements more harried, and it just seems to piss him off when Raditz corrects his position or praises his footwork. He finds himself getting upset too, unsure of what Yamcha wants from him and starting to feel put upon. 

Finally, after Yamcha tries to go for Raditz’s tail, Raditz catches the earthling’s wrists and holds him fast, glaring down at him. 

“What are you doing?” He growls, squeezing hard, forcing Yamcha to stop struggling as the fine bones in his wrists move under Raditz’s big hands. “Why are you so angry with me?”

“I’m not.” Yamcha snaps. 

“Yes, you are.” Raditz says. “You’ve never tried to grab my tail before. So what is wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, let me go.” He looks away, his face tinging pink. 

“Is this about what Tien said today?” Raditz asks, putting both of Yamcha’s wrists in one hand and grabbing his chin with the other, forcing him to look up. “Are you really jealous?”

“Okay, maybe I am. So what?” 

“Why are you jealous?” 

“It’s not important.”

“Clearly it is.” Raditz sighs, shaking his head. “I told you I like sparring with you, didn’t I? That hasn’t changed. I wouldn’t be here if it had.”

“I know. It’s stupid.” Yamcha huffs, trying to look away again. “I’m glad Tien and Chiaotzu are warming up to you, it’s just—“

“HEY, GET THE FUCK OFF OF HIM!”

Raditz dodges just before a disk of energy slashes through the air where he’d been standing. He takes Yamcha with him, an arm secured around his waist and holding him flush against his own body. He reacts on instinct, throwing Yamcha behind him and raising his free hand at his assailant, focusing his ki into his palm.

“Wait, wait!” Yamcha yells, grabbing Raditz’s arm and forcing it down, looking at the newcomer with wild eyes. “Krillin, what are you doing here?”

“Are you serious? You’re asking _me_ what _I’m_ doing here?” The small bald man says, one eyebrow cocked comically even as he’s forming another disk in his hand. “What is _he_ doing here?”

“It’s a long story, just please put that away.” Yamcha says.

“He was gonna kill you.” The man, Krillin, says grudgingly, his ki dissipating as his hand drops back to his side.

“Nah, he wouldn’t do that.” Yamcha says with a laugh. Raditz snorts.

“You sound so sure.” He comments, chuckling when Yamcha smacks him on the chest with one open palm. Krillin gapes.

“What the fuck is happening right now?”

“Okay, long story short, Raditz is my friend.”

“Are you kidding?”

“No, oddly enough, I’m not.”

“He got Goku killed.”

“He didn’t mean it.”

“Holy shit, I’m in Hell, aren’t I? I’ve died and gone to Hell. This isn’t really King Kai’s planet, it’s just some simulation or whatever to torture me.” Krillin says, his eyes huge. “I mean, it makes sense, right? That guy’s a murderer, and you’ve cheated on Bulma so many times it probably adds up to murder.”

“Hey, I resent that.” Yamcha says, glancing sheepishly back at Raditz.

“Yeah, but it’s totally true.” Krillin replies. “Damn, I thought I was a pretty good person, too. Must be all those dirty mags. Fuckin’ Roshi’s a bad influence.”

“You’re not in Hell, Krillin.” Yamcha sighs.

“You’d know if you were.” Raditz adds with a shrug. 

“Oh, of course you’d know, huh?” Krillin snaps.

“What’s going on out here?” Tien’s quiet voice says suddenly. 

“Hey Krillin!” Chiaotzu says cheerfully at Tien’s side. 

“Okay, guess I’m not in Hell. That’s a relief.” Krillin says, sighing dramatically and placing a hand over his chest.

“Yeah, fuck you, man.” Yamcha snorts.

“He just told me he’s friends with that big asshole over there.” Krillin continues, ignoring Yamcha’s remark and turning to Tien and Chiaotzu. 

“Yeah, it’s a long story.” Tien says with a laugh. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to King Kai.”

“Why are you so damn unconcerned about all this?” Krillin demands, but Tien just shakes his head.

“It’s a long story, Krillin. Just come inside and meet King Kai, and then I’ll explain.” 

Yamcha’s hand is still resting lightly on Raditz’s arm as they watch them walk into the house, then he seems to deflate all at once, holding onto Raditz as though to keep himself on his feet.

“Well, that was exciting.” Raditz comments, breaking the silence. Yamcha huffs.

“You gotta stop attacking everything that moves.” He says, looking up at Raditz.

“He attacked me first.” Raditz snorts. “Anyway, you were about to explain why you’re so jealous.” He prompts, raising his eyebrows when Yamcha looks away again.

“Nah, moment’s gone. Now I’m tired.” He deflects, letting go of Raditz’s arm. “I should go inside and make sure Tien’s telling Krillin the real story. You can come in if you want.”

“No, I’ll stay out here.” Raditz says softly. “You should warn him about Nappa.”

“Oh shit, yeah.” Yamcha laughs. “I’d forgotten about him.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings finally surface, despite these two idiots being dense and awkward.

Yamcha is getting wished back to life in a week at the soonest. King Kai mentions it over breakfast a few days after Krillin had arrived, and Yamcha nearly chokes on his food. 

“Wait, seriously?” He says, staring. “I thought they’d wish back Krillin first.”

“They wanted to, but I turned ‘em down. Wanna get some training in.” Krillin replies. 

“Dunno if I should be offended by that or not.” Yamcha grumbles. “Then what, it’ll be a year before Tien, Chiaotzu, and Krillin get wished back?”

“One Namekian year. So about 130 days.” King Kai replies. Yamcha frowns deeply. “I thought you’d be more excited about that.”

“Yeah, yeah, I am. It’s just…” he pauses, chewing on his lip. “Bulma’s gonna yell at me. And then Puar’s gonna yell at me.”

“Well, maybe if you weren’t such a dick you wouldn’t get yelled at so much, Wolf Boy.” Krillin snorts. 

“Wolf Boy?” Raditz says, laughing. Yamcha slaps his arm. 

“Don’t you start.” He growls, making Raditz laugh harder. 

“I still don’t understand your relationship with that monster.” Krillin huffs, looking down at his food. 

“Just cut him some slack.” Yamcha says, frowning. 

“It’s fine.” Raditz murmurs, smiling when Yamcha looks at him. “He has a right to be angry.”

“What, was that your permission?”

“Krillin!” Yamcha huffs and stands up. “He’s my friend. You don’t have to like it, but I think you should learn to accept it.” Krillin just snorts. 

The week goes by quickly, and on the last day, Yamcha seems...sad. 

“You okay?” Raditz asks, standing in front of him where he’s sitting on the ground. He looks up and sighs deeply. 

“Yeah, I guess.” He replies, dropping his head back in his hands. 

“You should be happy. You’re getting wished back tomorrow.” Raditz says, looking up at the darkening sky. “Wanna get one more sparring session in?”

“Nah.” Yamcha says. “Could we just talk instead?”

“Sure.” Raditz sighs, dropping to sit cross-legged in front of him. 

“Have you given any more thought to getting wished back?” Yamcha asks after a while, looking into Raditz’s eyes, some strangely intense look in his own. 

“Not particularly.” Raditz admits with a shrug. Yamcha frowns. 

“I’m gonna wish you back with earth’s Dragon Balls.” He says after another moment of silence. “I think you deserve a second chance.”

“You don’t have to.” Raditz says, not sure how to feel. 

“I want to.” Yamcha shrugs. “I wasn’t kidding when I said you’re my friend.”

“You’re very kind.” Raditz murmurs. 

“Nah, I’m just really selfish.” Yamcha snorts, shaking his head and looking down at his hands. “C-can I… can I ask you a question?”

“Yes.”

“It’s, uh… kind of a weird question.”

“Just ask it, Yamcha.”

“Well, I was just wondering what your type is.” He says, his face turning red as he ducks his head. Raditz frowns, not understanding. “Because I might know this girl you might like or whatever.” He adds quickly. 

“Type?”

“Yeah, you know, like what you’re attracted to.” Yamcha says. Raditz considers for a moment, still confused. “You know, like for sex.”

“I don’t know. Wasn’t really much room to be picky in the Frieza Force.” He says. “I like females when I can get them, but I’ve fucked quite a few males as well.” Yamcha chokes at that. “Why are you asking me this?” Raditz asks, suddenly thinking back to when Yamcha had kissed him. How into it Yamcha had seemed. 

Realization dawns on him right as Yamcha mumbles something else about this girl he knows, and Raditz gapes at him as the earthling stands and starts to walk away. Raditz gets to his feet, hand flashing out to grab Yamcha’s wrist. Yamcha yelps as Raditz yanks him back, colliding with Raditz’s body, staring up with big, surprised eyes. 

“Are you courting me, Yamcha?” He asks, grinning when Yamcha’s face turns red again. “Is that what the kiss and all this jealousy and defensiveness has been about?”

“I don’t know if I should tell you the truth or make fun of you for how fucking dense you are.” Yamcha grumbles, looking away and pushing against Raditz’s chest, trying to escape. Raditz grabs Yamcha’s chin with his free hand, forcing him to look up. 

“Saiyans are very direct.” Raditz says softly, studying Yamcha’s face. “Though I suppose I should have known when you kept asking to spar with me and sharing your food with me. You earthlings are so strange, and I wasn’t sure if that was courtship or friendship, as you kept saying.”

“Yeah, I’m the strange one.” Yamcha snorts. He pushes against Raditz’s chest again, but Raditz’s arm is fastened securely around Yamcha’s waist, his fingers curling over Yamcha’s hip. He gives up, glaring at Raditz. “Welp, this certainly isn’t how I thought this would go down.” He huffs, angry. 

“Were you expecting this instead?” Raditz asks, then leans down and presses his lips to Yamcha’s. Yamcha stills, not responding for several long seconds. Raditz sighs through his nose and starts to pull away, suddenly worried he’d misread the entire situation. 

But then Yamcha’s hands are on his face, dragging him back down, kissing him fiercely. His tongue runs along Raditz’s bottom lip and Raditz hums, opening his mouth and letting Yamcha deepen the kiss. Their tongues press together, their mouths moving slow and sweet, and there is no denying the sudden electricity between them. Yamcha’s hands push into Raditz’s hair, his fingernails grazing his scalp, pulling a deep groan from Raditz’s chest. His tail unwinds from his waist, reaching instinctively for his partner’s tail, then coiling high on Yamcha’s thigh instead and squeezing gently. 

“Guess I shoulda been more blunt, huh?” Yamcha whispers against Raditz’s lips when they break for air. They’re both breathing hard, harder than just kissing warrants, and Raditz rests his forehead on Yamcha’s, leaning into him. 

“Yeah, since this is our last night together for possibly a whole year.” Raditz replies. Yamcha chuckles. 

“So you want me to wish you back?” He asks, leaning back to look Raditz in the eyes. Raditz snorts. 

“You can’t just tell me you want to fuck me and then leave.” 

“I didn’t say I wanted to fuck you.” Yamcha snaps, trying to pull away. Raditz chuckles, tightening his arm around Yamcha’s waist, his free hand cupping Yamcha’s cheek. 

“Mmm, not with words anyway.” Raditz growls. 

“You’re so fucking cocky.” Yamcha says, pushing harder. Raditz does let him go then, holding up his hands as though in surrender. Yamcha crosses his arms over his chest and pouts. 

—

Yamcha leaves, and Raditz finds himself feeling more lonely than he thought he would. He still has Nappa, of course, and Tien is more than happy to continue as his sparring partner. But at night, when everyone is sleeping, Raditz sits cross-legged in the grass and wishes Yamcha was still here. 

Then 130 days apparently pass, because Tien, Chiaotzu, and Krillin leave, wished back to life by the Namekian Dragon Balls. King Kai continues training Raditz and Nappa, but it’s clear that he’s had about enough of having guests, despite saying before that he liked having Raditz around to do his chores. 

“You think he’s really gonna wish you back?” Nappa asks one day, sitting next to Raditz at the dining table. 

Raditz just shrugs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the last chapter. Hopefully it’ll be worth the wait lol


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter! I’m actually not terribly used to writing smut, so I hope y’all enjoy lol

One moment, Raditz is sparring with Nappa on King Kai’s planet. Then he blinks, and the next minute they are in the desert next to a crater. The sudden change in gravity shocks both of them, causing them to lose their balance and crash into each other, unaccustomed to their bodies being so light. 

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Nappa says, picking himself up off the ground. “The crazy bastard wished us both back.”

“Goku’s gonna be pissed.” Krillin says suddenly, and Raditz and Nappa freeze. 

“You’re joking, right? He’d probably wish them back himself just to fight them again.” Yamcha replies. “Now, c’mon. They’re over here, I think.”

They jump out of the crater, then, waving awkwardly. Yamcha stops a few feet in front of Raditz, not quite looking at him. 

“Yamcha.” Raditz says, surprising himself with the warmth in his own voice. 

“Sorry it took so long.” Yamcha mumbles, fidgeting and looking at the ground. “I woulda wished you back sooner, but I had to wait for them to reappear, and then Bulma said that—“

“Yamcha.” Raditz interrupts softly, stepping forward and cupping his chin in one hand, making him look up. 

“I missed you.” Yamcha whispers, gripping Raditz’s wrist. 

“Are you sure?” Raditz asks, tilting his head. “You don’t seem happy to see me.”

“I am, it’s just—“ he cuts his eyes to Krillin and sighs. “It’s gonna sound silly, but I’m kinda nervous.” He grins then, lopsided and fucking _adorable_. 

“Why? You afraid I'd be an asshole, just using you to get wished back?” Raditz purrs, stroking Yamcha’s jaw with his thumb. 

“Well, I _know_ you’re an asshole.” Yamcha says with a shaky laugh, his grin turning into a grimace. Raditz hums and leans down, pressing his lips to Yamcha’s gently. 

“I’m not using you, Yamcha.” He says softly, and Yamcha visibly relaxes. 

“I know.” He whispers. “God, it’s so good to see you again.” He throws his arms around Raditz’s neck then, kissing him hard. 

“Ugh, get a room, you guys.” Krillin grumbles, sounding a little sick. Raditz just chuckles and deepens the kiss, wrapping his arms around Yamcha’s waist and pulling him close. 

—

Yamcha lives humbly in a cabin out in the desert. He tells Raditz that he once lived in a cave, but since he started playing baseball (whatever that is), he had been able to buy a deluxe cabin capsule (whatever that means). He’d prepared a room for Raditz long before, complete with clothes and furnishings, and Raditz is both flattered and confused by the gesture. 

“I wasn’t using the room anyway, and I knew you’d need a place to stay when you came back, so I just furnished it. I hope the clothes fit, I got two sizes up from what I wear cuz you’re so tall. Of course you don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to, I don’t mean to just assume that—“

“Thank you, Yamcha.” Raditz says, interrupting Yamcha’s babbling. He turns and grabs Yamcha’s wrist, grinning when he gasps. He pulls Yamcha against his body, arms closing around him, tail curling high on his thigh. Yamcha leans into him, breathing deeply, his arms winding around Raditz’s waist. 

“Did you wanna shower or eat or something?” Yamcha asks, humming when Raditz leans down to kiss him gently. 

“A shower would be perfect.” Raditz chuckles. “I’ve been dead for a while. Probably smell pretty bad.”

“Well, I didn’t say that.” Yamcha laughs. 

He shows Raditz to the bathroom and fusses over him for a while, until Raditz finally laughs and pushes him out and locks the door behind him. When he steps out of the shower, clean and refreshed and feeling so much better than he ever thought he could, he finds a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt folded and sitting on the counter, courtesy of a certain bandit, he’s sure. Raditz smiles and pulls on the pants, then leaves the bathroom to find Yamcha again. 

He wanders through the little cabin, pausing to look at the framed photos in the hall. There’s one of a much younger Yamcha with short hair, standing in a group of kids and smirking at the camera. The blue haired woman that Raditz had seen on that little island the day he’d come to earth is standing next to him, and in front of them is the small bald man and Kakarot as children. There’s a wide grin on Kakarot’s face that reminds him so much of their mother that Raditz’s heart twists painfully in his chest. 

“That was taken right before the first world tournament we fought in.” Yamcha says softly, startling Raditz. “Later, Goku transformed into a giant ape and destroyed the place.” He laughs at the memory, and when Raditz looks down at him, he is struck by the fondness on the earthling’s face. “That’s the story I told you before, about how his opponent destroyed the moon to stop him. We were all so sure he’d just killed Goku instead. It was one of the scariest moments of my life.”

“You’re very fond of my brother, aren’t you?” Raditz murmurs, smiling when Yamcha looks up at him. 

“Yeah. He’s my best friend. Well, other than Puar.” He replies, chuckling. 

“Puar?”

“The cat.” Yamcha says, pointing to a floating blue cat in the photo. “He’s actually my roommate. He’s not too happy about you moving in, but he gets that it’s important to me.”

“I don’t want to cause problems between you and your friends, Yamcha.” Raditz says sternly. “I’ve caused more than enough trouble already.”

“Don’t worry, we’ve already hashed it out. It’s not a big deal.” Yamcha replies, touching his arm. “Anyway, I gotta ask. Your tail… you’re not gonna transform and kill everyone, are you?” Raditz chuckles at that, bringing his tail up to curl around Yamcha’s wrist. 

“No. I am well aware of the Oozaru’s power, and I know how to avoid transformation. As long as I don’t look directly at the full moon for too long, it’ll be fine.” He turns and eyes Yamcha for a moment, frowning as something occurs to him. 

“What?” Yamcha asks, shifting uncomfortably. 

“If something happens and I do transform, do not cut off my tail.” He says, his voice hard. “I can’t fully control the Oozaru, but I am an experienced warrior and have transformed more than a few times. I have been trained to wait for orders, and I won’t go berserk in their absence. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll likely do it. Failing that, call Nappa.”

“What if Nappa transforms?” Yamcha says, frowning. 

“He’s trained to control it. And he owes you for bringing him back, so I doubt he’ll do anything stupid.” Raditz chuckles. They fall silent for a moment, looking at the pictures on the wall. “Thank you for the clothes, by the way.” Raditz says after a while, glancing down at Yamcha. 

Yamcha blinks, then grins. “Didn’t like the shirt, huh?” He says, his eyes sliding over Raditz’s body appreciatively. 

“Get used to it.” Raditz replies, chuckling. “I find these earth clothes to be rather suffocating.”

“We’ll find something you like.” Yamcha says with a grin. “Not that I’m complaining. I certainly don’t mind if you decide to walk around the house in the buff, but you’re gonna have to wear clothes if we ever go anywhere.” He turns then and faces Raditz fully, his eyes drifting down over his chest and abdomen, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. “Damn, you are something, aren’t you?”

“See something you like?” Raditz growls, crossing his arms over his chest so that his biceps bulge. Yamcha whistles and Raditz feels his fingertips ghost along his ribs. 

“Hell yeah.” Yamcha purrs, stepping closer to him. Raditz unfolds his arms immediately and wraps them around Yamcha’s waist, pulling him against his body. “I’ve been dreaming about today forever.” Yamcha says, face coloring. “Damn, sorry, that was cheesy as fuck.”

“Mmm. What happened in these dreams?” Raditz asks. Yamcha stares at him. 

“I have to spell it out?” 

“Mm-hmm.”

“You’re impossible.”

“Fine. Did this happen?” Raditz says, leaning down and kissing him, and Yamcha’s mouth opens to let Raditz in immediately. 

“Uh-huh.” Yamcha groans, squeezing Raditz’s waist. 

“How about this?” Raditz says, turning them around and pushing him backward into his room. The backs of Yamcha’s knees hit the edge of the bed and he sits down, surprised. 

“Nah.” He breathes, staring up at Raditz with something like wonder in his eyes. Raditz pushes his fingers into Yamcha’s hair, grinning at the soft groan that escapes Yamcha’s lips. 

“Then what happened next?” He asks. Yamcha grabs his arm and pulls him down, flipping him onto his back on the bed. Raditz allows himself to be handled, letting Yamcha position him, resisting for a moment only to pull his long hair out from underneath himself. Yamcha swings a leg over Raditz’s hips, straddling him and leaning down to kiss him again. “I was really so docile in your dreams?” He asks into Yamcha’s mouth, earning a soft chuckle. 

“Nah, I was just wondering if you’d let me have my way with you.” Yamcha replies. Raditz hums, fingers kneading Yamcha’s waist. 

“I’m more than happy to allow that.” He says, tilting his head when Yamcha pushes his face into his neck, tongue flicking against Raditz’s skin. 

“Hey, wait a second.” Yamcha says, extricating himself from Raditz’s arms and bounding out of the room. 

“No, no, take your time.” Raditz replies, rolling his eyes. He strips off the sweatpants and lies back, propping himself up on his elbows. He shifts his weight and lets one hand drift down, palming his cock and stroking it lightly. Yamcha returns and freezes in the doorway, staring down at Raditz’s body, licking his lips and hesitating as though he doesn’t know where to begin. “You can touch. I don’t bite.” Raditz purrs, eyes hooded and hand working, grinning wide enough to bare his canines. 

“Uh-huh.” Yamcha snorts, grinning back. Raditz sits up then and grabs Yamcha’s ass, pulling him flush against his bare chest and kissing him again. Yamcha hums into Raditz’s mouth, his hands finally pressing against Raditz’s skin. 

“So what happened next in your dream?” Raditz asks, hooking his fingers in the waistband of Yamcha’s track pants, sliding them down. 

“I can’t remember.” Yamcha whispers, shivering as Raditz’s hands push up under his shirt. Raditz chuckles. 

“Come here.” He purrs, hooking one hand behind Yamcha’s knee. Yamcha puts his knee on the bed, climbing up and straddling Raditz again, and Raditz holds him steady as Yamcha pulls his shirt up over his head. He kisses Yamcha’s belly, flicking his tongue over his flushed skin, nipping and sucking across the muscular expanse of Yamcha’s abdomen. He grabs the waistband of Yamcha’s pants again, pulling them down over his ass, kneading gently and grinning when Yamcha moans. 

“God, I can’t believe I had to wait so long for this.” Yamcha says, his breath hitching as Raditz yanks his pants all the way down and licks a hot line from the base of his cock all the way to his navel. 

Raditz pulls back and runs his hands up Yamcha’s hips, admiring the perfect cock standing proudly in his face, already hard and leaking. 

“Look at that.” Raditz murmurs, wrapping a hand around him and dipping his head to press his lips to Yamcha’s tip, tongue flicking out to collect the bead of precum that leaks out in response. Yamcha moans loudly and pushes a hand into Raditz’s hair, dropping his head back. 

“Oh fuck, Raditz.” He breathes, rocking his hips slightly as Raditz mouths down the length of him, licking over his balls briefly before drawing his tongue slowly up the underside of Yamcha’s cock. He pulls back and licks his lips, looking up at Yamcha through his eyelashes, and Yamcha shudders as he gazes back, his fingers rubbing circles into Raditz’s scalp. Raditz smirks at him then and closes his lips over Yamcha’s cockhead again, sucking gently before opening his mouth and swallowing him whole. He hollows his cheeks, humming when Yamcha’s hips buck and gripping his ass to hold him still, then starts to bob his head slowly. He relaxes his throat and takes him down to the hilt, sucking and swirling his tongue. Raditz sucks him hard again, then pulls back, licking his lips and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He presses a kiss to Yamcha’s lower belly, then grabs his waist and stands up, lifting the smaller man as though he weighs nothing at all. Yamcha yelps as Raditz turns and tosses him unceremoniously onto the bed, scooting back to the headboard as Raditz climbs onto the mattress and up between his legs. 

“Want me to fuck you?” Raditz asks, laying over Yamcha and kissing him deeply. Yamcha moans and wraps his legs around Raditz’s waist. 

“God, yes.” He breathes, kissing him back desperately. “There’s lube right there. That’s what I went to get.” Raditz chuckles and looks down to where Yamcha’s pointing, then slides down his body to lick at his cock again. He grabs the tube and squeezes some of the slick gel onto his fingers, then grins at Yamcha and takes his dick back into his mouth. Yamcha jumps when Raditz begins to pet at his entrance with one slick finger, moaning long and low when Raditz gently presses the digit inside him. He pumps his finger in and out, matching the movement with the bob of his head, and Yamcha moans again as he fucks his hips up into Raditz’s mouth. 

Raditz stills, letting Yamcha fuck his face as he adds another finger, pressing them deep inside him and working him open. He brushes Yamcha’s prostate with his middle finger and Yamcha gasps, his hips bucking hard, cockhead bumping the back of Raditz’s throat. 

“How are you so _fucking_ good at this?” Yamcha moans, one hand reaching back to grip the headboard hard, the other pushing into Raditz’s hair. Raditz hums and hits his prostate again, swallowing the burst of precum that spurts onto his tongue. “Oh my _god_.” Raditz pulls back then, grinning up at him. 

“Told you I’ve fucked men before, didn’t I?” He purrs, fingers still working deep inside him. “What, did you think I was just fucking with you?” Yamcha just moans and writhes on Raditz’s fingers. “You ready?” Raditz asks, watching Yamcha nod furiously. 

“Yeah.” He says, squirming. “Just go slow. It’s been a while.” He chuckles, embarrassed. 

“Course.” Raditz says, smiling warmly. He kisses his way back up Yamcha’s body, adding a third finger as he presses his mouth to one peaked nipple. He swirls his tongue and grazes his teeth against the sensitive flesh, sucking gently before moving to give Yamcha’s other nipple the same attention. Yamcha sighs softly, arching his back as Raditz finally withdraws his fingers and kisses up his sternum. He pauses to squeeze more lube on himself, then settles between Yamcha’s thighs, reaching to hook one leg around his waist before lining them up. 

He pushes inside Yamcha slowly and carefully, pressing sweet kisses to his neck and face and trying not to let his hips jump when Yamcha clenches hard around him. Yamcha gasps and pants, wrapping his arms around Raditz’s neck and clinging to him as he works to adjust. 

“Relax.” Raditz murmurs, claiming his lips. “So fucking tight on my cock. You keep squeezing me like this and I’m gonna come before I even start moving.” He chuckles lightly and kisses Yamcha again, humming when Yamcha finally kisses him back. 

“Sorry, you’re big and I haven’t gotten laid since I fucking died, and even longer since the last time I fucked a dude.” Yamcha replies, giggling nervously. Raditz pulls back and blinks at him. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah.” He sighs, rocking his hips experimentally and grinning at the hiss the movement pulls from Raditz’s lips. “Apparently tall, ripped, a bad attitude, and hair past their ass is my type, and nobody else on earth fits the bill.” Raditz blinks again, shocked. The idea that Yamcha couldn’t even fuck anyone else because of Raditz drives him fucking crazy. He bares his teeth and _growls_ at Yamcha, snapping forward and biting at his lips, shoving his tongue practically down Yamcha’s throat when the other man gasps. He moans desperately, tightening his legs around Raditz’s waist, and kisses him back, hot and wet and so fucking messy. “Fuck me, Raditz.” He breathes into Raditz’s mouth, and Raditz growls again, long and low and more animal than human. 

He begins to move, thrusting slowly, his tail snaking up to curl around Yamcha’s wrist. He keeps that pace until Yamcha finally starts to move against him, rocking his hips up to meet each deep thrust. Then Raditz pulls back until he nearly slips out, and slams back inside him, swallowing Yamcha’s cry in another deep kiss. He raises up onto his forearms and slams into Yamcha again, picking up the pace and fucking him hard into the mattress. 

“Harder.” Yamcha gasps, and Raditz hooks an arm behind Yamcha’s knee, pulling his leg up so that he can drive into him at a sharper angle. Yamcha yelps and moans loudly as Raditz hits his prostate, arching his back and exposing his throat. Raditz presses his lips to it, nipping the sensitive flesh and sucking bruises into Yamcha’s tanned skin. “Oh fuck, Raditz, I—“ he gasps, his hands tangling into Raditz’s hair. Raditz tugs on Yamcha’s wrist with his tail and pulls his arm down, the fur bristling at the first brush of fingers at the base. 

“Squeeze right there.” Raditz breathes, a throaty moan tearing out of him when Yamcha grasps him gently. “Just like that.” He can feel the first fluttering pulses of Yamcha’s impending orgasm around his cock, and he shifts up onto his knees, putting one hand in the small of Yamcha’s back to support him as he drives even harder into him. Yamcha fucking _sobs_ and comes hard, spurting all over his own chest, clamping down around Raditz. He tugs gently at Raditz’s tail then, his hand sliding first down, then up against the direction of the fur. Raditz’s hips buck at the sharp bolt of electricity that shoots up his spine, gasping when Yamcha slides his hand down again and squeezes gently. Raditz snaps his hips hard into Yamcha, moaning like a _whore_ and losing control as the other man _jerks off his fucking tail_. His hips shudder to a halt as he comes harder than he ever has in his life, spilling wilding inside Yamcha with a strangled cry that surprises him as much as it seems to surprise his lover. 

Raditz presses his face into Yamcha’s neck, shivering and breathing hard, aftershocks wracking through him as Yamcha gently strokes his tail and murmurs quietly in his ear. 

“I thought it was gonna be good,” Yamcha says after a moment, chuckling softly, “but holy shit.” Raditz hums and lifts his head, pressing a gentle kiss to Yamcha’s lips before pulling out and flopping onto his back beside him. Yamcha immediately curls up against his side, snuggling into his chest and throwing an arm and a leg over Raditz’s body. 

“Should probably take another shower.” Raditz says. He puts his arm around Yamcha’s shoulder and squeezes, pressing a kiss to the top of Yamcha’s head. 

“Later, babe. Let’s just lay here for a bit.” Yamcha sighs happily. 

“Regret wishing me back yet?” Raditz teases, shivering as Yamcha traces over his chest with one finger. 

“No way.” He laughs, and Raditz grins at the ceiling, squeezing Yamcha’s shoulders again.


End file.
